Waiting for Someday

"Someday I'll..." is a dangerous phrase.

Someday I’ll start a company. Someday I’ll move abroad. Someday I’ll write a book.

“Someday I’ll…” is a dangerous phrase. It placates you with a comforting fantasy without bringing you any closer to your goal. It files away an outcome in a dreamy container and distracts you from the tangible processes and compromises that might actually get you there.

The sooner you can take a first step, the sooner you’ll get a sense of what the path looks like and, critically, if you’re interested in walking that path.

For years, I dreamed of living life as a painter with my own studio. Assuming this lifestyle was reserved for artistic savants represented by big galleries and eccentric retirees with means, I filed the idea away in my “someday” folder. Given that I could visit the rosy picture of a smiling, gray-haired Jordan painting in my mind's eye anytime — I didn’t spend an ounce of energy on actualization.

Things changed when I was confronted with a two-week gap between jobs in the winter of '22. On a whim, I decided to play out the fantasy. I Airbnb-ed a light-filled apartment in Mexico City, a locale that both inspired me and fit my budget. When I arrived, I dropped my bags and hailed a cab to the nearest art supply store. I gently replaced some of the artwork on the walls with my own blank canvases, covered the floor with plastic, and… I painted. I produced 7 works I was happy with and consumed three times as many tacos.

It was a surreal experience — this rapid dissolution of a “someday” into a “today.” I discovered quickly that 1) I actually enjoy doing this, 2) finding space for it in my life is a priority, and 3) other people find value in my creative expression. In the years since, I've established a studio in Seattle, held shows, sold works and found the right balance for myself between expression and an art business. Thank goodness I didn’t wait until I was gray to pursue this.

I understand that some of your "somedays" are more complex and resource-intensive. Painting for a few weeks was something that I could do without permission and I had adequate space to make it happen. You don't need to go all the way to Mexico City to make progress. You can start by taking digestible steps today:

- Commit your vision to paper with as much clarity as you can manage. Writing is the great clarifier.

- Find someone to talk to who appears to be living your “someday” and reach out. They can shed light on the path.

- Put a recurring block on your calendar (30 minutes or an hour) to ideate freely/experiment with next steps. You'll build momentum slowly, but surely.

Thanks for reading! I’m helping folks navigate all the above at my practice decisionjoy.com :)