Editor’s note: Please welcome kristie!
Just like it says.
Getting started is sometimes the hardest part of my day. I know some days I poke my head out from under the covers and think to myself, “Can I just skip today? Perhaps, I can skip the whole week…” I was listening to a podcast recently that was discussing why people are not excited about their lives.
It made sense.
Who’s excited about doing the same thing day after day when you view it as a chore? I know I have never been excited about cleaning the bathroom or washing the dishes. You know what I do to make those ‘chores’ more pleasant? I put on some music, the kind you can sing to, turn it up real loud and get it done. It isn’t so bad once you put it in perspective.
Life is like that too.
I am getting to the age where my older relatives are dying. My dad died two years ago this April. My mom died 14 years ago. Recently a long time friend died after a valiant battle with cancer. It made me think about how I have approached life and how I want to approach life.
I didn’t really start thinking about ‘time’ until I had friends who were employed in highly dangerous jobs and how they perceived their lives and time spent with family. But even then I didn’t change much, not until recently, when I lost it. ALL. It really hit home that not ONLY am I the source of my distress but I am ALSO the source of my happiness, self- worth, and success.
All these things are within me. They are also within you.
I still have mornings where I want to skip the day. I still fall back into looking at things and wondering why they are difficult. But then, I take a deep breath. I take a step back and I think about all the things, great and small, that are ‘wins.’
Sometimes the wins are as small as noticing the daffodils in the highway median. Often the wins are small accomplishments like getting the chores done, making a decision I have been putting off, or taking the time to enjoy the sun on my face.
Nothing is as bad as it seems. There is always hope.
Take a few minutes to write down your wins. Identify what is important to you and then you will notice getting started isn’t so hard to do.
The daffodils reminded me of William Wordsworth’s poem, and how it often nudges me when I manage to make time to soak in the outdoors to SLOW DOWN and savor the moment (instead of rushing through, like life was meant to be a colossal checklist). I had to develop a new habit of taking off my shoes and socks and sitting next to the water. Once I’m that invested, I can’t leave right away, and my soul has time to soak in the serenity of the moment. That’s one of my wins. I wandered lonely as a cloud That floats… Read more »
At my old office I kept a photo of me sitting in a kayak on the Guadalupe River. It was a peaceful day. The sun shining through the balcony of trees. When I would have a really stressful day I would look at that picture and take what I call a mini vacation. I’d stare at the picture and remember how calm and peaceful it was. It would take the stress away and then I’d get back to work. I confess there were days I had to look at that picture a lot. I love you description of being vested… Read more »
You cant imagine how happy I am to read this. One foot in front of the other. My internal voice is my biggest enemy sometimes. And the hardest to overcome. But you already know that. You have friends that love you, in case you don’t know.
Thank you Kristie. Next time I have one of those days i will reflect on this.
Welcome Kristie! So glad to see your work here! You are right that we need to celebrate our small wins. Sometimes when you are only focused on the big things you need to accomplish it can feel overwhelming when they aren’t yet completed. So focusing on the small wins actually will help you achieve your goals. At least that’s how I try to approach things. Though I confess I’m not always successful in that and need reminders. Great article. Thanks K!
Kristie! Kristie! You’re here! I’m so glad you putting articles here. This is awesome! Can you tell I’m excited??
Really enjoyed this article and I hope we are going to see more from you on a regular basis.
Kristie!!! This rocks. Thank you!!
Small wins are all we really have. Big wins are just a bunch of small wins building on each other. Change is really hard and big change is really almost impossible. A really great book that talks about how to change your mindset about improvement and change is “One Small Step Can Change Your Life – The Kaizen Way” by Robert Maurer. Kaizen is a Japanese word that means Change for Good. Dr Maurer posits that big changes trigger a “fight or flight” response and that small changes over time don’t do that and actually build into big changes. Looks… Read more »
I needed this today, Kristie. In fact, I’ve needed it for awhile. I’ve been getting too wrapped into what I haven’t accomplished and lost sight of those things that were victories. Thanks for the head’s up! Very glad to see you on here.