Justen Ahren describes himself as a poet, photographer, musician, and writing workshop facilitator. Wearing all those creative hats, it wouldn’t be surprising if Justen were a perpetual victim of Shiny Object Syndrome, never bringing any of his projects to completion. But Justen has published two collections of poetry, exhibited his photos in shows, and produced an album of his music.
Justen wasn’t always this productive. He admits: “For many decades, writing frustrated me. I wrote in fits and starts. I was insecure. I often felt defeated when I tried. I expected more from my meager beginnings. I expected awards, praise, publication.”
So, what changed for Justen? “It’s taken me a long time to realize that what I was seeking all along was not a result, but a feeling. And only doing gave me this feeling… I’ve come to realize my writing, and indeed my life, had little strength without devotion. When I began to marry my attention and intention to an act — the commitment to write daily — I experienced the creative life I’d always imagined.”
You may not think of yourself as a “creative,” like Justen clearly is. Yet the formula Justen describes strikes me as one that could work for any of us who struggle with completing our projects:
Attention + Intention + Action = Completion
When you find yourself grappling with a writing project that isn’t getting finished, it’s worth pausing for a moment to ask yourself whether one element of Justen’s three-part formula may be missing. Are you setting an intention and taking action, but you aren’t paying enough attention? Are you paying attention and setting an intention, but not taking enough action?
Perhaps getting your writing projects completed could become as easy as one-two-three.
