Getting Clear & Getting Going
In addition to planning my workshop, learning the choir music for Ann Reed’s upcoming concert in Duluth (Heroes, March 17th) and working with singers at the college and the middle school, I have been working on a number of grant proposals this month.
And, well … perhaps I shouldn’t admit this, but …
Grant-writing is kind of hard.
…
The first challenge, of course, is making the time to write a proposal. Even with all the writing I do (including right here *smile*), it always seems to take longer than I plan to draft and finish a proposal.
But, really the challenge of grantwriting for me is not in the writing; it’s in the thinking.
…
Thinking about what I want.
And what I don’t know yet and how to best manifest what I imagine. (Moving things out of my head and into the world.)
Making real phone calls to real people to discuss my project.
Saying things out loud and inviting feedback (and maybe even critics and critiques *wince*)
Not to mention, the reality (and responsibility!) of 24 hours in a day, 7 days in a week and 365 (or 366! *smile*) days in a year to use, or fritter away, however I choose.
As Marianne Williamson famously put it:
“Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure.”
…
Sitting down to plan your dreams (aka grant-writing) forces you to look that fear right in the eye.
And it’s … hard. (Did I already say that? *smile*)
But, it’s also good for us.
It’s certainly good for our projects.
…
I’ve talked before about the power of writing things down. (That is one of the many gifts I have received from writing this blog. *smile*)
Outlining the steps of a project makes them real and lets you know where the sticky or tricky spots are. How it can work and the things that won’t.
Documenting a dream helps you see when you might be overreaching (possible) and where you are playing too small (more likely).
By writing it out, you figure out what you need to prioritize (or de-prioritize!) in order to make space for your project.
You get clearer.
(And, when I’m clearer, I’m more committed.)
…
More important, you get going.
By the time I finish a grant proposal, part of me feels like someone has created a highly customized instruction manual just for me.
All I have to do is follow it.
