On Follow-Through: Why Does Inspiration Fizzle?

Sometimes knowing the “why,” is important, and possible. At other times “why” is unimportant, and impossible to discern. When it comes to “inspiration,” I find knowing “why” (. . .something may have fizzled), extremely important toward restoring it.

So why does “inspiration” shift at all? Why can we be working on something highly excited for months and then slowly, eventually, the project is put down and. . .it may remain there for some time? We don’t intend to exchange inspiration for a lack of it—why would we do that?!

Swiss psychiatrist Carl Jung informed us that, “One form of life cannot simply be abandoned, unless it is exchanged for another.” I feel this is exactly what happens to “inspiration.” Another thought, idea, belief—which builds up more intensity—replaces the inspired thought; in an instant, or slowly over a lifetime. Maybe the project is never picked up again.

I took a moment and closed my eyes to clearly imagine “why” one of my projects is still not complete, and now it’s a year old; why did the inspiration fizzle? After just a moment I land the answer. . . I hear quietly within, “don’t know next steps.” And it rings true. A “why” is now clear. Each time I’d look at that project’s paper-pile on my desk, I’d naturally find myself moving away from it—with a blankness about me. Which felt unbalanced. Like awkwardly running into an old lover.

When the drop-down menu box with options doesn’t appear in your mind, the project, and inspiration for it, is going to fizzle. And it will stay there till inspiration breezes back in and once again you know next steps. Inspiration waxes and wanes—just like every other flow we seek to manage, from ocean tides to the stock market.

So how is being aware of a “why” helpful, important? 

Ok, say I’m now aware of the thought, “don’t know next steps,” well the moment there’s awareness of it, my whole system, naturally does something about it!—as strange as that sounds. In becoming aware of something, questioning instinctually happens. We’re hardwired for that. Humans are hardwired to question things they notice. We wonder about the world around us—including our thoughts, ideas, feelings, etc. It’s in the very fabric of our DNA, to be aware of something and then wonder about it—to question it.

So the moment there’s awareness of the, “don’t know next steps” thought, instead of experiencing “blankness”—our built-in questioning-function kicks in, replacing the thought with a question. . .or many; those questions shift the thought. Which is what they’re supposed to do, often leading to outstanding solutions. It’s an aspect of the process of human thinking.

Albert Einstein once remarked, “If I had an hour to solve a problem and my life depended on the solution, I would spend the first 55 minutes determining the proper question to ask…for once I know the proper question, I could solve the problem in less than five minutes.”

When awareness happens, questioning happens and then the “drop-down menu box with options” appears. Next steps take shape. And again inspiration is restored, and follow-through happens.