Janice Dalager is the co-host of the Middle of Nowhere Show. Along with her co-host Tim, she hosts a weekly call where their sole expectation is “good things ahead.” She also helps coaches host webinars through her site Online Event Hostess. In this episode, Janice shows you how to live in present, let go of expectations, and explore creativity in everyday life.

• mixing her understanding of tech and coaching
• help non-tech business owners with webinars
• simplifying tech with coaches
• Middle of Nowhere Show – without technology, show wouldn’t be possible because her co-host is in South Africa
• show up and expect good things
• degree in material science/engineering
• wasn’t a good engineer
• so she taught herself tech
• technology not accessible to coaches
• found teaching as a first love
• worked corporate for 15 years
• started life coaching for women
• in high school, she did engineering programs because schools wanted minorities and women

“The thought of not being a doctor, lawyer, or engineer never entered my mind.”

• did a lot of leadership work
• speaking and being president of club
• shy/introverted, people didn’t see her as a leader
• Asian kids find they don’t have to follow a chosen path anymore

“I didn’t really think that I could do it as a living, to teach as a living.”

• humans are capable/adaptable
• you can do things that you don’t enjoy, but you will still adapt
• the 2008 crash, caused a lot of people to think about what they were doing
• What have I been doing? What do I have to show for it?
• collecting paychecks but not being satisfied
• finding out what people are good at, the things that bring a spark into their lives
• now people are stable again, but that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t question things

“You don’t have to lose your day job to start a creative practice, to do things on the side.”

• work was always more than a 40 hour week

“You have to create space and time to not be doing work, to not be obligated into something.”

• finding time where you don’t have obligations is hard, but you should find five minutes a day for free time
• things you can think about to figure out what you should do creatively
  • think back to where you lost track of time
  • let go of the outcome
  • times in early childhood – games/crafts that you gravitated towards
  • ask your parents or people who knew you – What did I like to do/enjoy as a child?
  • follow fascination and amazement, moments when those things occurred
  • pursue things without an objective or outcome
• finding what you want to do will change your work week life
• be present in the process without worrying about the outcome
  • it has to be practiced
  • outcomes are reverse engineered, they are measured
• Middle of Nowhere Show – there’s no questioning, it’s a space for exploration
• spa days are great, but I would rather have alone time, a time to do whatever
• Creativity Spa Day: bring a notebook, pen, colored pencils, books, and magazines with good visuals out into nature
  • your Creativity Spa Day doesn’t have to be perfect, there’s no screwing up
  • make it what you want to make it
  • block out the time, set an appointment
• enjoying the process
  • you will want to know how it’s going to turn out
  • when you are judging your work, you aren’t appreciating the process
  • observation is a great way to start – it feels passive and no one is judging you
  • observe someone cooking/creating art, be aware of what they are doing
  • watch how you observe, observe and play with children
  • find your friend that thinks differently
  • lose the watch

“Appreciating the process has everything to do with being present in the moment. Some people think that being in the moment is all about passion… not necessarily. I think there’s a huge ability to be present as an observer.”

“I think for some people, the blank page is really daunting for them.”

“We’re so used to sparks flying, or some big aha moment… sometimes it’s just a series of coincidences. Really, when you’re in a moment, it doesn’t look like from the outside that anything is happening.”

• set a timer and see how fast time goes
  • start with a small amount of time, turn the timer around, see how easily you can let go of time
• she meditates five minutes a day every day
  • it’s a way of being present
  • it can be hard at first
  • started with a two minute practice, but she does it every day
  • it doesn’t have to be reflective or serious
  • commit to it for a week, use the timer, get used to not tracking time
• give creativity a try for a week, see if things are different
• Middle of Nowhere Show came out of a call with coach friend
• amazing ideas come out of creativity and being present
• creativity is an evolution
• James Altucher’s 10 Ideas a Day 
• Online Event Hostess

“Every experience up to this point is leading you to the next thing.”

• don’t judge your past experiences
• it doesn’t matter how things turned out
• fascinated with modern day Renaissance Man, ordinary people, getting past what people do as a job and find out what they do in their free time
  • Leonardo da Vinci, Daniel Pink, Queen Latifah

“I want to know who you are when you clock out.”

• Graham Norton Show – talks to celebrities, but engages them as people
• Definition of creativity:

“It’s the way of thinking that’s in free flow… brilliance comes out of that.”

“Creativity is the expression of your true self in the world.”

• for one week, set five minutes aside every day on a timer, take a coloring book and crayons, and go at it
• or go out and take pictures and see what you come up with
• release yourself for five minutes a day

Middle of Nowhere Show and Online Event Hostess or Email Janice