goals
Bullet Journaling
Just trying it out. This felt really personal to share, but it’s not, really.
🙂
Writing stuff down has always helped me actuate them.
Toucan
Did you know that their beaks are “honeycomb-like” (lightweight) and virtually useless as a weapon? But the other animals don’t know that!
Tip of the Day (from personal experience):
Start your day with something that is hard to do physically…something that requires you to push yourself. Achieving it first thing in the day will give you a sense of accomplishment and vigor for the next 15 to 18 hours.
Podcasts and Promises
I just finished listening to a Rich Roll podcast. His guest was Jesse Itzler who wrote a best selling book about Living with a (Navy) SEAL. Itzler is also married to Sara Blakely who founded Spanx.
Pursuing outrageous physical feats is not my bag. However, I like to keep learning about motivation and what might help others (as well as me) get/stay motivated to constantly improve (work, relationships).
The biggest takeaway from this podcast for me was to “circle a date in the future” for a goal I have in mind and then to tell everyone about it to hold myself accountable. As soon as I published “Esther, Mia and the Stars,*” I wanted to write my next book. But I haven’t. So here it is: by December 13th, 2018, I will write (and illustrate!) book #2.
What have you put on the backburner? Share it now (here or elsewhere), and get going!
*Yes, it says “Mia, Esther and the Stars” on Amazon. But it’s the right book. ;P
The Trick
If you’ve read Aesop’s fable, The Crow and the Pitcher, you know that the moral is “Little by little does the trick.” My 5th graders read the fable and then were assigned a response: Give an example from your own life that describes this moral.
Here are a few responses:
- “I got more flexible by stretching every single day, now I can do the full splits!”
- “I practiced drawing every day and now I’m really good.”
- “I saved up for an expensive video game by practicing piano every day (got paid $2 each day).”
- “My mom used to be addicted to soda. Each day, she drank a little less. Now, when she has some, she feels sick.”
- “We planted watermelon seeds and watered it every day. We got a watermelon!”
- “I have played tennis since I was three. I play three to five times a week and I’m really good now.”
- “It’s really hard for me to wake up in the mornings. When my alarm goes off, slowly, inch by inch, I move sideways to the lamp and turn it on and get out of bed.”
When can you do little by little to achieve your goals?
The Light! The Light!
Like Moths to a Flame...This adage refers to the belief that people are driven by misguided values (such as greed or lust) and that this inevitably leads to self-destruction (moths commit suicide when they fly to the light).
Entomologists still don’t know why moths do this. With each hypothesis, there are contradictions to the assertion. Thus, the mystery continues. (LiveScience)
Something that we DO know is that people often kill their dreams through self-doubt and bad habits. It’s a slow and painless death. In fact, it might be quite enjoyable: Netflix Marathons, junk food binges and endless chatting on social media are feel good in that moment.
But…
Passivity is killing your End Game. [End Game = publishing your book, starting your company, getting a better job, fostering rich relationships, running a marathon, losing 20 lbs., etc.]
Each day is precious. What action can you take to replace just one self-sacrificing habit today?
New Year 2018
Before you resolve to start an endeavor (or stop a bad habit), you may want to take time to reflect, first.
“Pain + Reflection = Progress (Ray Dalio)”
What worked for you this year? What didn’t? What did you do fantastically well? What could you have improved? What pains did you endure and what did they teach you?
Goals and resolutions are like seeds. Under proper care, they will germinate.
Fast and Slow
There are things you ought to do quickly: running races and putting out fires come to mind.
But most things are better done slowly and with full presence: eating, visiting with friends and family, petting your dog, folding laundry, washing dishes, drawing scary rabbits…these daily activities are what make up the vast portion of your life.
A Shot in the Arm
Y is for Yet*
I love the word “yet” It’s full of promise and optimism
I haven’t learned Python …
I haven’t published my second book…
I haven’t been to England…
I’m not very good at illustrating…
I haven’t produced a short film…
I haven’t been to Korea with my kids…
yet! And until I do, I will enjoy every delicious moment of this great journey.
*Part of my alphabiography series
Bold Moves
Photo by Stephen Di Donato
Approximately 50% of the population makes New Year’s resolutions. Of them, only 10% realize their goals (Psychology Today).
To make major changes in your life, you need to make some bold moves. But “bold” does not mean drastic and sudden. I like to think of being bold as “being courageous” and embracing a level of discomfort in order to grow.
Waking up a half hour earlier than usual and walking for 30 minutes might be uncomfortable, but doing so on a consistent basis for six months or more will undoubtedly result in favorable change.
One of the main reasons people don’t reach their goals is because they set unrealistic objectives. They plan on making radical changes through extreme acts. In reality, all it takes is a bit of courage to expand one’s comfort zone and to do it consistently…kind of like erosion: slow and steady.
Kismet 