Perhaps, like me, you’re a very creative person. You are a dreamer. Idealist. And you have big goals and dreams you’d like to achieve. If that’s the case, I’m about to share information that will be very beneficial to you. If you’re an aspiring entrepreneur, this information is vital—I know so from experience.
The Feared Question
Bangkok was hot and humid. Our lunch was at an outdoor food truck.
“So, how’s your business going?” asked my entrepreneur friend.
My heart beat accelerated. My heart accelerated. That question was so offensive to me. “I’m getting there,” I mumbled between two bites of Pad Thai.
Almost a year before that, I had left my job and apartment in Montreal and flown to Thailand with the intention of “making it happen.” I spent that year in Thailand hustling, starting a bunch of projects and quitting them all, one after the other, most often due to being distracted by a new idea or simply losing interest. I wasn’t making any progress, and my savings were drying up.
“What’s wrong with me?” I remember thinking. The thing was that it wasn’t just that year in Thailand that was concerning; I had been hustling for five years, getting nowhere close to having a profitable business. “Why do most entrepreneurs I know have no problem building businesses, often in just a few months, and I can’t?”
One year later, I found the solution.
It’s Because of Vata
A year later, Sahara Rose Ketabi (Ayurvedic expert) explained on her podcast why creatives, like me, often fail to reach their goals. That was one of those “lightbulb” moments.
Before I share this golden information with you, I think it’ll help to quickly explain what Ayurveda is.
Ayurveda, a holistic system of health and healing that originated in India is called Ayurveda. According to Ayurveda, there are three main archetypes or energy types (called “doshas”): Vata, Pitta, and Kapha. Each archetype has specific characteristics that impact on our mental and physical health. All people have the same three archetypes in different amounts. We usually have one dosha or archetype that’s predominant.
What is the point?
High-level creative people are dominated by Vata dosha. If you look at the characteristics of this dosha below, you’ll quickly understand why Vata can be problematic when it comes to pursuing goals.
Vata Dosha: Creative Type
People who are predominantly Vata tend to be very “heady,” creative, and imaginative, with thousands of ideas constantly spinning in their heads like tornadoes. You might find them as visionaries, artists, philosophers and/or philosophers. They are free-spirited and can be obsessed with freedom. They may also be:
- They should change their mind often.
- Get easily distracted and be very susceptible to “shiny object” syndrome.
- Focusing on only one thing can be difficult.
- Multitasking is a must.
- But if you get too excited quickly, then it is easy to lose interest and become bored.
- You can be good at beginning projects but you are terrible at following them through.
- Be obsessed with freedom and “allergic” to structure.
- Overthink their ideas, which commonly leads to “analysis paralysis,” anxiety, and even insomnia.
If you’re highly creative, you likely recognize yourself in some of the above. It is also clear why Vatas may have difficulty achieving their goals.
There are many ways that creative people can succeed. Enhancing the quality of each dosha within you is the key. You all possess the same three energies in your body, only they are different quantities.
“If you want to be happy, set a goal that commands your thoughts, liberates your energy and inspires your hopes.” – Andrew Carnegie
Pitta dosha: A true action-taker
Pittas are organized and active people who excel at high levels of achievement. These people are more like the type A archetype and tend to display more self-discipline than any other archetypes. They love routines and structure, contrary to Vata.
However, their negative traits include burnout and overwork, impatience, and control.
An average Pitta can work efficiently as an executive, CEO, or entrepreneur. Pitta also includes politicians and athletes.
Kapha Dosha: Nurturer
Kapha is the third archetype. Kapha individuals are naturally present and grounded. Kapha people are warm and friendly, and they have a nurturing and calm energy. However, when their Kapha energy is out of balance (when it’s in excess), they can become lethargic and stuck.
Vata Dosha, the Creative Type: How to Reach Your Goals
It is Pitta to achieve your goals. We must increase our Pitta quality to improve our chances of success. Plus, since Vata is very heady and prone to anxiety, it’s also essential to ground ourselves and be more present in our everyday tasks (i.e., enhance the Kapha within us).
Below are some tips to help you reach your creative goals.
- Write down your goals and make sure you read them each morning. It may be one of the most important things you can do to remain focused and prevent getting distracted. This strategy can be beneficial for everyone but it’s especially important for creative individuals to reach their goals.
- You can also write down why each goal is important to you and the benefits you’ll gain from achieving each goal; that will help you stay motivated and not lose interest in the middle of a project (it’ll help you follow through).
- Your top three priorities should be written down for the day. These should be addressed first. People from Vata tend to wander all around, so it is important to stay focused on the things that move the needle.
- Practice ‘just in time’ learning—only feed your mind information you plan on using and implementing right away. It will help reduce anxiety and information overload.
- You can commit to only one project (or one strategy or idea) at a given time and complete it before moving on to the next one. It is important to finish what you start in order to be successful.
- You can have an accountability buddy, join masterminds, or even hire a coach. It’ll help you stay focused on your goals and progress faster.
- Avoid multitasking. Vata, I understand how hard this can be. It’s possible to eat lunch and simultaneously watch a YouTube video or search the Internet for information. But that’s just not efficient.
- Ground yourself daily, whether it’s by going for a walk in nature, practicing yoga, or doing breathing exercises or any other mindfulness practice you enjoy.
These strategies will increase your chances of success
Many highly talented people possess enough Pitta energy that they can achieve their goals easily. For Vatas like myself, however, it may be difficult to achieve our goals. There are however ways that we can make things easier.
After many years of unsuccessful hustle I was finally able to be a location-independent entrepreneur. However, the journey was painful, and I wish I had known about Ayurveda ten years ago—it would have made my life so much easier!
This information may also be of benefit to you.
Addicted 2 Success published Why Creatives Have a Harder Time Achieving Their Goals.
Addicted 2 Success published the article Why Creatives Have a Harder Time Achieving Their Goals.