Stop Planning Your Creative Life For Perfect Days Only
The Real Reason You Can't Stick To Your Creative Goals
I recently saw a post about why our habits often fail or why we don’t follow through on the things we say we’ll do.
It caught my attention because the answer was simple but true: we only make a plan for the good days.
We set a goal - maybe to exercise, write, meditate, or do something creative - and we design that plan for our best-case scenario. The problem is, life isn’t made of only good days.
Some days, we’re tired or distracted. We don’t have the energy, the focus, or the time. And when we hit one of those days, our single-version plan often falls apart.
The post gave a great example: on a good day, you might do your full workout. But on a bad day, maybe all you can manage is ten minutes of stretching on the floor.
The key is that you still show up, you just have a smaller version of the plan.
Giving Ourselves Grace
That idea stuck with me because I’ve always been a little more black-and-white. Once I make a plan, I tend to hold it tightly.
But what if we built in a little grace from the start? What if we created habits and creative practices that allow for both the good and the bad days?
Of course, my mind went straight to creativity. Because for me, everything connects back to that.
We can think of our creative lives the same way. Instead of one big project or one narrow definition of what “being creative” looks like, what if we gave ourselves options? Different projects for different moods, seasons, and energy levels.
You don’t have to be an artist for this to apply.
Maybe you love baking, gardening, writing, or taking photos. Maybe creativity for you means decorating a corner of your home, arranging flowers, or noticing color and texture in the world around you.
Whatever form it takes, having more than one way to express yourself makes it easier to stay connected to that creative flow, no matter what kind of day you’re having.
Multiple Options
Most creatives I’ve talked with, especially on my podcast, have several projects going at once. Some are small and instantly gratifying; others unfold slowly over years. Some are shared publicly; others stay private. It’s not chaos or being scattered, it’s resilience.
I’ve learned that having a few things “on deck” keeps me connected to that part of myself even when life gets unpredictable.
For example, I keep small, portable projects ready to go. The other night, I had to take my husband to the ER for what turned out not to be a kidney stone (thankfully). I grabbed my little tote with some embroidery supplies on the way out the door. I knew I might be sitting for hours, and it gave my hands something to do and my mind a place to rest.
That’s a plan for a “bad” day.
Stitching Backwards
And full disclosure - even lifelong creatives make mistakes.
While I was sitting in the waiting area, I took out some of my embroidery. I placed the two plys of fabric in the hoop, locked it all together, and loosely stitched the design to the top. As I started filling in the outline, something felt off. But I kept going.
It wasn’t until I was done that I realized I’d put the fabric in backwards and stitched everything carefully onto the lining fabric instead of the sparkly linen where it was supposed to be. I had to laugh.
I put it away to be dismantled and redone later.
It’s Personal
Your version might look completely different. Maybe it’s a small bag with beautiful stationery and pens, ready for writing notes to friends or holiday cards.
Maybe it’s baking, where on one day you make sourdough from scratch, and on another you pull out pre-made cookie dough just for the fun of decorating.
What matters is that you acknowledge the rhythms of your own energy, creativity, and attention.
Some days you’ll have more of all of it; others, less.
Meeting yourself where you are is a kind way to stay consistent without forcing it.
It’s Ok to Pivot
Just yesterday, I had one of those low-energy days. I was finishing up a respiratory infection, on medication, and trying to focus on organizing things in my productivity app Notion.
My mind kept drifting. Every distraction felt like too much. So instead of pushing into something demanding, I gave myself permission to do a simpler version of my plan. I stayed with one gentle, creative task, organizing and making things feel clear again. It wasn’t flashy, but it was satisfying.
Today, I feel lighter and more focused, ready to follow a few of those tangents that felt too heavy yesterday.
That’s the rhythm of it - ebb and flow.
Build Your Version
Maybe take a moment to imagine your own week and the patterns that shape it. Mondays might feel slow and reflective. Tuesdays might bring more focus. Wednesdays could be your peak energy day, while Thursday starts to slow down again. By Friday, you might already have one foot in the weekend.
Once you notice your natural flow, you can start designing creative options that match.
On a slower Monday, your creativity might simply be in what you wear - picking a color or scarf that lifts your mood.
On Tuesday, maybe you plan a small creative activity after work, like listening to live music or doing a short sketch.
By Friday, you might be ready to prep for a bigger project or dive into something hands-on for the weekend, like pulling out holiday decorations, gathering materials, or doing the underlayers of a project you’ll finish later.
Self-kindness
When we give ourselves something for both the good and the bad days, creativity becomes sustainable. It stops depending on ideal conditions or perfect timing and instead becomes part of how we live.
So maybe your challenge this week is to think about your own “good day” and “bad day” versions of creativity. What could they look like?
What small creative thing could you keep nearby for when you need it most?
Until next time,
Pam
Subscribe to my sister Substack, Travel like an Artist - a weekly companion to this podcast where I share creative travel stories, resources, interviews, and ways to see the world (near and far) like an artist.
Thank you for sharing Pam, I needed to read this!! I'm also someone who's a very black and white thinker, and I always want to do things perfectly. Even in my healing journey with chronic pain, I seem to forget that I don't always have to be perfect.
There are days I'll throw all my good habits out the window and that's totally okay but I've seem to have forgotten this.