There is no right way or wrong way to approach all of your creative projects. What really matters is what you can put together in order to make things work best for you. When I am out on assignment there are many times when I know in advance what I am going to be looking for. Other times I just grab my camera and go, perhaps the time of the day or the weather is the trigger at the time. Maybe I have had a thought about certain subject matter but I needed to wait for the right conditions to capture the story I want to tell.

Of course there are also times when I have done substantial planning and the weather prevents it all from happening on the day I set aside. You really never know, and that’s ok, sometimes its best to not know. Those conditions that just happen can deliver some of the most pleasant surprises.

A long time ago I read these words, “begin with the end in mind!” I love the simpleness of these words. What does your finish product look like to you? What do you want your ultimate goal to be? How do you want your story to unfold? You can keep going here and play the 20 question game with your thoughts. How will it all look to you when you reach your final destination compared to what you thought it would be?

These words offer us such great advice. Beginning with the end in mind places a crystal ball in our hands, doesn’t it? We get to pre-imagine our thoughts before we act on them. This gives us the advantage of looking ahead for what we want to see and in the process we can take steps to remove any obstacles before they become a problem. We actually can make sure the path is clear and our initial thoughts can be delivered to us in just the way we thought they would.

Beginning with the end in mind helps us to become better organized and find the right process to grow our creativity exponentially. This is especially helpful when you are working with a deadline. The kind of pressure no one ever wants to work with. Making sure the path is clear before you even get onto the path makes sense. Why steal time from your creative energy to deal with obstacles that could have been removed even before the journey began.

The concept is simple and it can lead to great outcomes if you welcome it into your arsenal of creativity. Besides, if you are not better prepared for unforeseen delays in your projects you could risk the chance of running out of time to catch the unexpected, which we know can be some of the most creative opportunities we ever have.

Take a moment to step back, look at things with the end in mind. Do the work now to make sure the path is clear and you are going to be able to get to where you want to be with the least amount of interruption. Learn to live in the moment when the moments present themselves to you. Bring a lunch, take a break, you’ve cleared the path, now enjoy the journey!

Talk soon…

G