Happy Monday, or whatever Monday you choose.
On my website, I always say, "You are the boss of you." Indeed, you are empowered every day, but you can take charge of your life right now. You determine your course, and if you do not like where you are, you can keep on moving forward to get to the place you would want to be. Today is a great day to celebrate your victories. What have you achieved? What have you overcome? What failures have caused you to grow? There is no time like the present. I was speaking with a friend on the phone, and we were sharing storage tips. By the time the conversation was over, I had implemented our discussion. I am staring at my things still left to do and was about to be despondent. Then I remembered that I woke up early and knocked out a presentation. Victory is mine!
But, and there is always a but - my to-do list is nagging me. Long exhale. When I look back at other times that I have had setbacks, I realize that sometimes the delays put me in a better place. In some cases it saved me having to rework the thing I was trying to achieve. I am giving myself a mental "this too shall pass." It will pass. Some of the things that we stress over are temporary. I am going to let this pain inform me.
One way to adapt to challenges and setbacks is to be flexible. All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy. Finding a balance between work and play can help you to be more productive. When I feel like I will never finish, I remember Parkinson's law. "Parkinson’s Law: 'Work expands so as to fill the time available for its completion.' ”* If you spend time agonizing about how long a project is going to take, you are wasting time. Get cracking. I give myself plenty of time in the morning because I do not enjoy rushing. One morning I overslept. I was amazed to find that I could shower and be ready to take my son to school in ten minutes. Was there sacrifice? Of course. I missed my morning walk, but I found efficiencies in other places to have an evening walk.
What's next? Do not give up. Keep going. Like Dory the fish in "Finding Nemo" advised, "just keep swimming, just keep swimming." The success will happen with perseverance and grit. Whether it is a project, or trying to lose weight or quitting smoking the critical thing is to have the resolve to take the first step. If you fall, get up. Give it your best shot. If your best was not good enough, don't beat yourself up. It will not change the past. Celebrate what you learned from that failure and attack it in a new way. Ask yourself from where some of your deadlines originate. I put more pressure on myself than my job will ever give me. When you are honest with yourself, you can start to move forward. Lay down the burden of perception and pick up the mantle of action. Saddle up my friends; adventure awaits.
*Source - https://impossiblehq.com/parkinsons-law/
