Though we’re each unique, seeking to find our own path through life that’s right for us, there are many “secrets” to leading a happy, fulfilling, creative life that we can all learn and apply.

One of the most fundamental is this simple two step formula:

Creative Happiness = The Choices You Make + The Action You Take

Let’s look at each of the two steps and why they combine to make such a powerful formula for creative happiness.

The Choices You Make

Though it may often seem like just about everyone else in your life is deciding what you should be doing, and why, when and how you should be doing it, the fact remains that YOU have the final choice in everything you do in your life.

When you find yourself saying “I have no choice”, try changing it instead to “Of the choices available to me, this is the one I’ve decided is the best right now” and notice the shift in perspective that gives you.

Add to this another statement: “Other choices I could take right now are…” and write down at least 5 other choices. Just writing down these few lines will allow you to see that there are always choices, and you’ve taken the route you’ve taken for good reason.

And now, having seen that there are other choices open to you and you’re not as blindfolded and strapped in a straight jacket on a runaway roller coaster as you thought you were, you may want to make some alternative choices that better suit you, and that will allow you to be more creative and fulfilled.

The Action You Take

Becoming aware of the choices available to you is vitally important in feeling that you’re in control of your life and where you’re heading. But without then taking the action that supports those choices, you may as well have not bothered to make a choice at all.

For example you might decide: “I’ve had enough with feeling I don’t have time to create. I’m choosing to commit 15 minutes to creating each morning, before I do anything else.”

That sounds a wonderful, positive choice, congratulations! But then if the next day you don’t spend even 15 seconds creating, and 3 days later you’ve forgotten you even made the choice at all, it’s utterly pointless.

To make sure this doesn’t happen, once you’ve made an important choice, write it down. Then write underneath: “5 simple actions I can take in the next 48 hours to support this choice are…”

This list of possible actions gives you more confidence in your choice and shows that it’s not empty words, it something you can, and will, follow through on.

It’s this combination of choice plus action to support that choice that is so powerful.

If you make choices then don’t take any follow up action to support them, you might as well not bother making those choices in the first place. Nothing will actually change without taking action.

On the flip side, action without choices won’t work either. If you’re taking thoughtless action in all directions, without knowing why or what your aim is, you’ll simply end up confused and frustrated. It’s a scattershot approach that may give you a glimpse here and there of what you really want but little more.

So apply the two steps - the choices you make plus the action you take to support those choices - and you’ll find very soon you’re heading in the right direction and feeling far more empowered and in control on your creative life, rather than running around in all directions with no real aim, or even worse doing nothing and feeling completely demotivated and stuck.

Which important area of your creative life can you make a choice about, and take positive action on today?

Make the choice, write down what you’ve decided to do, then write those 5 supporting actions you can take in the next 48 hours.

You know the next step, start taking action!

Would you like to kick-start your creativity today? Then download your free copy of the powerful and practical Explode Your Creativity Action Workbook at http://www.CoachCreative.com.

From Creativity Coach Dan Goodwin.