I Dare You to Create Something in 15 Minutes

Are you one of us who complains about never having enough time to create? Never enough time to journal, or exercise, or just breathe? 

Let me suggest you use the 15 Minute Principle. Go to your calendar, phone or daybook and write in 15 Minutes on every day. You may not write in a time, but the idea is to take 15 minutes somewhere sometime during the day and doodle, write down your thought, make notes, dance, walk or whatever you need to do to stop complaining about not having enough time.

A great website to gain control of your time is www.flylady.net - she tells us You Can Do Anything in 15 Minutes! That goes for making time for yourself to pursue something that has been put on a back burner for too long. We put off doing things for ourselves way too often and feel unfulfilled because there is not enough joy in our lives.

Jack Canfield suggests writing NO on every day of your calendar. When someone asks you to do something that will take your time, you have to be willing to give up your NO (which is YOUR time). So I suggest putting a big 15 on every day and give up 15 minutes to yourself to pursue that little bit of JOY that will bring a greater sense of satisfaction.

Here are some suggestions for what you can do in 15 minutes:

- Keep a small journal at your desk, in your pocket or purse, next to your bed. Take 15 minutes and sketch, doodle, or write.

- Take a 15 minutes when you first get home and dance - with your kids, your husband, your dog, or yourself. 15 minutes of all out dancing with the stars.

- Use your lunch break to visit a museum close by, stop by a store where you've been wanting to shop, walk in a park for 15 minutes.

- Take a gratitude walk. For 15 minutes, walk somewhere and notice everything for which you are thankful. Acknowledge each thing in your mind -  look up, look down, all around at things you might not notice on your regular routine.

- Call a friend. Tell them you only have 15 minutes to talk, but that conversation may make the world of difference to them and to yourself.

 - Spend 15 minutes choosing a card for someone and mail it to them. Don't we all love snail mail???

 - Practice a new skill for 15 minutes every day. Try juggling, Tai Chi, learning a new language, weight lifting, meditation, playing the piano or guitar, sudoko or zentangles.

Whatever you do, remember that taking just a few minutes of your day just for the joy of doing something you love can make a huge difference. In a week's time, you will have spent more than an hour and a half doing something fun. In a month, 7.5 hours, and in a year 5475 hours doing what you have, up until now,  just wanted to do.

What will you do in 15 minutes? Get your Creative Soul Juices going! Comment and let us know!