How to Stay Inspired + A Sweater Dress Look
If you’re like me, then you have dreams, big and small. It might be an elaborate day dream about what to cook for dinner next week or it might be expanding your company across the states. In order to bring these visions to life, you must create space for inspiration. From inspiration comes inspired actions. In order to tap into that ultimate productivity, you have to make time to feed your mind and heart with the things that make you happy. It also means learning the types of things you don’t love and don’t get energy from. Make a deliberate effort to learn these things about yourself and unlock new ideas and opportunities. Here are five ways to get inspired this week. Keep scrolling to shop this boho boss look featuring my new favorite sweater dress.
Work in a new location.
I recently set up shop at the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts to get some work done. I wore this cozy sweater dress while I was there. I not only enjoyed the change of scenery, but I enjoyed observing the people who passed me by over a period of a couple hours. Some even stopped to say hi or sat next to me. Everyone had a different reason to be at the museum. What spaces and places do you wish you spent more time in? Maybe it’s a coffee shop, maybe it’s a history museum, maybe its a coworking space. In any case, get out and change it up. You’ll leave the distractions of your desk or home behind and really be able to focus in on your tasks at hand. You may even see solutions to problems you’ve never seen before.
Surround yourself with your favorite colors.
I share this tip often with styling clients and friends. Cream, pink, maroon, green and a bit of red are my favorite colors. They set me on fire and also calm me. Invest in the colors that make you smile. Add them to your home, our office and your wardrobe. This cream sweater dress is one of many off-white or cream dresses I own. I also have a big collection of jackets and blouses in the same color as this sweater dress. I have pillows and a chaise lounge in this color. I’m day dreaming of adding a rug to my apartment in this color. If you build an environment (which includes your wardrobe) that makes you happy, you’ll be surprised at the creativity and prosperity it will unlock.
Revisit your old work.
This can be terrifying. No one wants to relive high school, right? But sometimes it’s good to sift through old photography, old strategic plans, or articles. Whatever your profession is, you had to start somewhere. What were you thinking back then? What did you envision for yourself, your coworkers and your business? What problems did you hope you would love in the world? Have you solved any? Are there any ways you can revisit old ideas and dreams? Can you at least pat yourself on the back for not making the same mistakes? How can you use this knowledge to move yourself forward?
Grab coffee with someone new.
If you’re starting to gain clarity on how you want your career to look in five years, then it’s time to start making new connections. You likely already have a mental list of people in your community who do similar work or companies you think you could help. Who are you curious about? Who might know something you don’t? Who might be a good friend to bounce professional ideas off of? Send that email. I wrote more about collaboration in this article. It just takes that first step of reaching out. It may only take 5 minutes and it may change your life.
Meditate.
At the very least, you can unplug for 15 minutes a day. We can’t all be Jedi masters. Pressing pause is easy to do thanks to apps like Calm. I wrote about the app in this post. I’m suggesting meditation to stay inspired because you have to breathe out so you can breathe in. You have to create space in your mind for new ideas, concepts, energy and visions. Mediation allows you to put a pause on the daily flow (or even rush) of thoughts and feelings. Mediation will help you learn more about what makes you happy and what doesn’t. You’ll learn to think more about what makes you happy and therefore come up with better ideas in that category.
Shop this Look:
I found this sweater dress on sale at Na-Kd. It no longer comes in this off-white color, but it is still available in tan. I also found two other white sweater dresses to add to your wish list. Tap on the images below to treat yo self! You deserve it!
