Every week I leave the house and do something fun. This might not sound like such a big deal, but when you live and run a business from the same house, it’s very easy to get *too* comfortable with your surroundings.
My weekly outings often involve a visit to the craft store for a few creative supplies because, honestly, in what world is that not fun?
But this week also included breakfast at Panera Bread. I recently began a practice of mindful eating which means I don’t count calories or points or portion sizes; instead I stay mindful about my food choices and what my body needs to stay healthy. I must admit that this isn’t as easy as it sounds and I fall off the mindful eating wagon every now and then, but it is getting easier with time.
On the plus side, it means I can eat things like this delicious Cobblestone for breakfast – without a side order of guilt.
I don’t know why they give you a fork; it’s impossible to eat with anything but fingers.
Mmmm, delicious.
I like Panera Bread and not just for the creative energy they use to make their delicious breads and sandwiches and pastries, or their social philosophy. I also love the little creative surprises I often find there.
Like this banner which was hanging right in front of me as I ate my Cobblestone.
If you can’t quite read the main question, it says – How our guests say they make today better. Which of course started me thinking – “How could I make today better?”.
This is probably not a question that immediately comes to my mind each morning when we wake up; I know it’s not something I generally ask myself. But what if it was? How would that make a difference to your day? Would it change the way you approached your day? Looking for something positive to add to your day instead of just taking from it as a way to get through it? And at the end of the day, how would it feel to know that you did one small simple thing that made your day, or someone else’s day, better? I think that’s pretty powerful stuff.
I’m thinking that this question would make a big difference to my day so I’ve decided it’s important enough to include in my morning ritual. The morning ritual is a topic that we’re discussing this week in The Creative Explorer’s Club and it’s all about beginning your day in a positive way with a strong focus and guided energy. It’s used as a way to avoid the many distractions that can get in our way during the course of the day that stop us from achieving our creative dreams and our goals.
The question “How could I make today better?” is a perfect way to end that ritual. And traveling through the day looking for ways to make things better also serves to keep us in the present moment which is where our creative energy is most powerful.
So … what are you doing to make today better?
For those of you who haven’t a clue what this is, the Wacom Bamboo Create tablet is a design tool that plugs into your computer and allows you to sketch and draw directly into a program such as Photoshop. Similar to sketching in a sketchbook but with a few advanced features, plus you don’t have to scan it to get it into photoshop.
Have you given vision to your year ahead by choosing a word yet? 
