Creativity can be a doozy. When I get stuck or run into problems, I ask myself these two questions (usually in a dorky sing-songy rhythm) to remind me to lighten up and change perspectives:

Thinking too hard, or trying too hard?

EXAMPLES:

• The other day I was in the studio and singing at the top of my lungs, even though I had a beautiful, state of the art mic right in front me to pick up every color of my voice, right down to the wispiest whisper. I was TRYING TOO HARD. I was nervous and really wanted to do well. Instead I just started shouting and blowing my voice out.

• I’ve been sitting on an idea for a podcast for a long time for a really niche audience but haven’t moved on it. I have a lot of excuses, but mostly I’m THINKING TOO HARD. I need to take some small action to put into motion.

• I was prepping for a concert and had all kinds of material I was convinced was essential. Nope. I was TRYING TOO HARD, thinking I needed to fill the 90 minutes to the brim or I would disappoint my audience. I came to my senses and cut about half of what I had planned. The concert went beautifully.

Have you been trying too hard? Thinking too hard? Often times when we’re thinking too hard we’re not actually trying anything out or taking action. When we’re trying too hard, we’re not leaving space for ourselves to think and reflect on what’s not working or better yet, what is. Thinking and trying are important partners that keep us in balance and allow for smart progress to happen.