Overcoming ‘Never Enough Syndrome’ as a Creative: Rest and Gratitude

I yearn for what I cannot have even though what I have goes beyond what I expected.

Have you ever noticed “it” is never enough. Whatever “it” is at any one given time:

Never enough weight lossNever enough moneyNever enough time to yourselfNever enough time with family

The Never Enough syndrome affects all of us; but for the creative, the “it” often centers around unique yearnings:

Never enough artistic talentNever enough art forms to learnNever enough art sales to satisfyNever enough email subscribersNever enough social media followersNever enough books published or sold

The list is endless.

Solutions for the Never Enough Syndrome

I’ve been contemplating the Never Enough Syndrome with rest, gratitude, and a shift in perspective as antidotes for this malaise.

For example, resting on one’s laurels long enough to count one’s blessings, accomplishments, progress, art created, words written, art forms pursued, people reached. 

I’m also trying to step aside time to cultivate my relationship with God: contemplation and emotional processing through journaling; taking walks to think and pray; reading inspirational books for soul rejuvenation. 

Reducing my activities so I can listen for His whispers, those subtle longings of the heart that entice me to consider a new perspective or direction. 

Practical Tips

Here are some more practical tips for cultivating rest, gratitude, and a shift in perspective:

Create a vision board to visualize what’s most important to you. When I reviewed my vision board a year later, I realized I met almost all my goals. If you’re a writer or artist aspiring to publish or sell, create a vision board to list your platform building goals. Here’s mine: Jot down what you’re grateful for in a journal; include blessings received, support of family and friends, skills learned, and hobbies enjoyed.Set aside times to do what restores and refills you (I enjoy painting while listening to worship music). Create affirmations as reminders of what’s most important. Personal Accomplishement Examples

I never expected my YouTube channel to go from 340 subscribers to 1906 and watch hours to average almost 1,000. Now I’m 1/4 of the way to becoming a YouTube Partner.

Nor did I expect to finish several paintings:

Creating a vision board will help you to prioritize and stay focused on what matters most to you!

Living a purposeful life full of rest and gratitude will shift your perspective from never enough to “Wow, I’m fulfilling my dreams!”

What are your own experiences and coping strategies for the “Never Enough Syndrome.” Please share them in this post’s comments!

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