The key to inspiration? Routine.

Are the days of sitting at a coffee shop and eating a thick slice of whole grain wheat bread smothered in an avocado spread, sprinkled with sea salt and crushed walnuts and almonds, long passed?

Is it true that gone are the day when…?

Perhaps. But regardless of whether the above is true, one certainty that will always remain constant, no matter what the future brings, is the importance to create and be inspired.

If there is anyfthing 2020 has taught us, it’s the importance of taking time to think.

When was the last time you sat down to read a book? When was the last time you sat down to be inspired with paper and pen in hand?

Whether you are a writer, filmmaker, painter or a parent, the reality of pondering remains the same.

If we want to be inspiring, we have to take time to be inspired.

As professor of psychology Angela Duckworth once said, “Once you’ve made your selection, do deliberate practice then and there every day. Why? Because routines are a godsend when it comes to doing something hard.”

Routine. Everyday. At the same time.

We cannot always demand inspiration to rain down upon us from the heavens at any given moment, but we can show up everyday.

We can be there when the inspiration does come.

As Denzel Washington once said in his commencement speech to graduates at the University of Pennsylvania, “You hang around a barbershop long enough—sooner or later you will get a haircut. You will catch a break.”

Washington later concluded his speech by saying, “Denzel Washington once said, “Don’t just aspire to make a living, aspire to make a difference.”

Sometimes those around you just need to be reminded somebody is there for them. Make that somebody be you.

By taking time each day to be inspired, you will in turn be more capable of inspiring others.

By giving yourself permission to create, you are granting others around you to do the same.

How you show up to do anything, is how you show up to do everything. So if you haven’t already done so, now is the time to begin your deliberate practice.

Now is the time to show up.

Self-love is never selfish. Even if it only ten minutes.