Jonathan Malm helps people uncover creative options for their life and their church. He’s the author of
Created for More, a 30-day devotional to help you develop a more creative mind. You’ll find him in San Antonio, Texas, roasting his own coffee beans and enjoying life with his Argentine wife, Carolina.
I was talking to a friend recently about my Conquering Laziness post. He has a dream but can’t seem to force himself to make it happen. It’s too easy to lounge around and watch tv or play video games. He’s a talented songwriter and musician who could do some amazing stuff. But he just isn’t doing…
This is part 5 in a 5 part series called “Conquering Inaction”. Perfectionism is toxic. It’s more devious than the other three causes of inaction. Perfectionism makes you feel like you’re doing something when you aren’t. You feel like you’re perfecting your art or dream. You feel like you’re making progress toward making it a reality.…
This is part 4 in a 5 part series called “Conquering Inaction”. You know your dream takes action. But sometimes it’s hard to get off your butt and make your dreams come true. But creativity means movement. And you’re not being creative if you aren’t creating. One of the main reasons we get lazy about…
This is part 3 in a 5 part series called “Conquering Inaction”. Failure rarely ends in death or public disgrace. But that knowledge doesn’t make failure less frightening. “What if I follow my dreams and fail?” It’s a frightening question. But you know what takes the fear out of that question? Answering it.
This is part 2 in a 5-part series called “Conquering Inaction”. Insecurity is the voice in your head whispering, “You aren’t good enough.” It slowly chisels away at your dream until it’s down to nothing. Now you’re not acting. Do you feel inadequate to make your big dream come true? Do you feel inexperienced? You…
If you want to accomplish something big, it takes action. I’m in the process of launching a free online magazine for church workers called Sunday| magazine. This project is much bigger than me. I’ve dealt with fears. I’ve dealt with temptation to abandon the project. But this project needs to happen. And I’m the one to…
There’s a good chance I’m paranoid. I’m starting an online magazine called Sunday| mag. I have no funds. I’m relying on amazing graphic designers and writers to do their work for free. The only thing I have is a vision. It’s going really well. And I’m a bit frightened that I haven’t received any resistance.…
Sometimes I just can’t come up with good ideas. But sometimes I’m just lazy. I could come up with something…I just don’t want to put in the effort. I think this is the source of most of our creative blocks. The key to overcoming these blocks is just powering through them.
I feel horrible when I procrastinate. Obviously I don’t feel horrible enough to stop. But I do feel bad. That’s because the concept of procrastination is inherently bad. But leisure and relaxation are good concepts. We all need time to unwind and recharge. Unfortunately, I often procrastinate so much that I don’t have time to…
I can follow my dream because you won’t follow yours. Everyone has a dream. Imagine if everyone actually made theirs come true. The world would be filled with astronauts, presidents, artists, and billionaire tycoons. Who would do the everyday tasks that make the world work? Obviously it’s impossible for everyone in the world to follow their…