Everyone should get turned on every once in a while.
Sexually, yes. But perhaps that’s not an article for Issue One.
I’m talking about waking up dripping with creative juices, gagging to ride your goals to mind-blowing, satisfying success.
But what do you do when perfectionism, fear, indecision or even plain old laziness cockblocks your ambition, and opportunity gets blue balls waiting for you to let it knock?
The answer isn't always more discipline.
Sometimes you need to get yourself excited enough to move.
Welcome to Up.
Up is the Direction we move in when we need more energy, courage, presence, confidence, fire or whatever else is required to get us off our arses and into action.
And chances are, you already know how to get there.
You have a song that changes your walk.
An outfit that adds at least 17% aura.
A friend you call when you need somebody to remind you who the fuck you are.
Maybe it's a particular perfume. Red lipstick. Three shots of espresso (or tequila). Standing in the mirror giving yourself an entirely delusional account of your own capabilities.
Some call these things preferences, rituals, habits, guilty pleasures.
I call them switches.
Because the version of you who walks into the kitchen half asleep at 7am isn't operating from exactly the same state as the version who hears that song while getting ready on a Friday night.
Same woman.
Different settings.
Something changed.
Your posture shifts. Your face changes. Your movements get bigger. Your thoughts move differently. You probably even become more willing to take a risk, speak first, send the thing, flirt back, make the call or finally start whatever you've spent three weeks thinking about starting.
You've turned something on.
UP ISN'T ALWAYS AN EMERGENCY
We're very comfortable talking about bringing ourselves down.
Deep breaths. Slow down. Relax. Regulate.
All useful.
But regulation isn't synonymous with relaxation.
Sometimes the state you're in isn't too much.
It's not enough.
There are moments when life requires more activation from you, not less.
Before the presentation.
Halfway through the workout.
When the dance floor is giving absolutely nothing and somebody needs to intervene.
When you've finally been invited into the room you've spent years trying to enter and suddenly your personality decides to start buffering.
These situations don’t require you to calm down. You need to come Up.
That doesn't mean throwing yourself into panic, frenzy or chaos. The aim isn't to become so activated that you're vibrating so much we can hear the buzz.
The sweet spot is enough.
Enough charge for the task in front of you or asking if you are allowed.
UP IS FOREPLAY FOR ACTION
This is why waiting until you feel like it can be such a bloody waste of time.
We’re all guilty of thinking the motivation will come first.
One morning we'll wake up focused, confident, inspired and mysteriously eager to deal with the thing we've been avoiding.
Sometimes that happens. Most times motivation missed its train.
State-shifting is the best option,
Instead of asking: Do I feel ready to do this? You ask: What state do I need to be in to get this done and how the hell do I get there?
Maybe your body needs movement, your breath more pace, or you just need to say the damn thing out loud.
It could be you need to change what you're wearing, where you're sitting, who you're around or what you're paying attention to.
The point isn't that one of these things magically transforms you into Sasha Fierce.
It's that you stop treating your state like something as uncontrollable as the weather and you learn what shifts it instead.
BUT KNOW WHEN YOU'VE HAD ENOUGH
Up is a Direction, not a permanent address.
There will be times when the smartest thing you can do is come Down. Others when you need to go In, or get yourself Out.
That's the whole point of having range.
So the next time opportunity is standing outside wondering whether anybody's home, don't leave the poor thing hanging.
Put on the song.
Change your posture.
Move your body.
Find the switch.
And for goodness' sake, turn yourself on.
