How To Feel Good About Your Week, While Learning New Techniques
Your week is a blank canvas.
“Life offers you so many doors, it is up to you which to open and which one to close.”
– Unknown
I’m at my daughter’s house. My grandson is getting ready to take a nap. Does this mean we could maybe watercolor paint again? Though, my daughter is tired, so I’ve decided to open a different door by writing.
Your week is a blank canvas. How might you fill yours? Every day is full of opportunities. You can either do the same things every day or try something new. We are constantly learning from our achievements or mistakes.
As some of you know, my daughter and I started watercolor painting. Our techniques are like night and day. How each of us approaches our days is much like this as well.
Planning for the future is a must, but living one day at a time is the only way to get there – one goal at a time.
Doesn’t everyone get excited when things are new? Trying new techniques is an excellent way of keeping things fresh. Giving up is not an option.
“Never, never, never, never give up.”
— Winston Churchill
Getting started
Whatever your goals might be, it always feels more complicated than they are. What if this week you stop overthinking your goals and just get started? Tell yourself that you only have to work on something for 10 minutes.
Once you’re in motion, motivation will follow. It’s not the other way around, so starting is a must.
Have you ever tried the 10-second blast-off? Count backwards ten to zero, blast off! It works every time to get up and get started.
Finding joy
Nobody wants to stick to things when there is no fun along the way. It’s the perfect reason why you must find more moments of joy.
An orchestra runs perfectly because of a Maestro. How could you work your day like playing a beautiful instrument? What if you started treating each task as a first chair performance with you being the soloist?
Everyone needs time to rest and rejuvenate after a big performance. Working to have a 20-minute break more often eliminates feeling overdone, doing something exciting as a reward is helpful. Possibly even a 20-minute power nap could do the trick.
Writing a vision
Some people make vision boards. I prefer writing a vision daily in a journal. It keeps me on track. It’s motivating for the day. I write down the goals I feel led to accomplish. Of course, they don’t always get finished perfectly.
Nonetheless, taking the time in the morning to see a glimpse of your day before it unfolds is a great way to achieve more. While, of course, a prayer or two could never hurt either.
Building on your success
Some days are just more straightforward than others. There will be days or even weeks when your energy runs low, or you may even feel like quitting. Building on your past accomplishments is essential. Have you celebrated that you even got started?
Setting up a reward system
When is the last time you set up a reward system for yourself? I used to reward myself with an Epsom Salt bath after a run, back in my running days.
When is the last time you treated yourself to something new when you accomplish a challenging goal? You don’t even have to spend any money if you don’t want to. Just make it a point to reward yourself; when you accomplish a goal.
Self-care is a great way to rejuvenate yourself. You might even be surprised how these little breaks help you to achieve more.
Keeping a record of your progress
A record helps you to realize the benefits of your goal. It doesn’t have to be anything fancy. It can be as simple as tracking on a calendar.
Keeping track at the end of the day is helpful. Try thinking about the day, asking yourself if it was a productive day for starters. We each have our definition of productive. If you feel your day was good, give yourself a symbol on a calendar.
I know this might sound childish, yet you might just be surprised. Remember, this is what trying new techniques is all about. There’s something about having a streak of symbols on your calendar once you get started.
Getting excited
Bringing the excitement back can be as simple as getting a new calendar or some gold star stickers. It would help if you thought about why you have set the goals that you have in the past. Are they still important to you? If so, think about why you should continue them? If not, this could be just the extra time in your day to do something fun.
You can get excited about your goals again, but it just might take a new approach or a little tweaking to get there.
Even changing up your daily schedule can be motivating. Try doing a task that you usually do in the evening in the morning or vice versa.
Getting help
Asking for help can be hard on some people. Do you struggle with asking for help? I’ve said it before; it’s a sign of strength. Asking for help can even increase your motivation and achievements.
The biggest mistake in goal setting is to assume that others can read your mind, which isn’t healthy for anyone involved.
Making others aware of your goals by either asking for that much-needed help or at least by sharing your goals with others will alleviate any miscommunication and be a great support to your achievements.
Your week is a blank canvas
Everyone can improve on the way they live out their days. It’s never going to be perfect here on earth. Some days do you feel like a fish out of water?
Life is constantly changing. We never know when life will throw us that next curveball, and we are back on first base or in the dugout for an inning or two.
We must learn how to quiet the side of our egos, that try to control every little thing. There is an appointed time for your vision; we must trust to be flexible with our goals and timing. That’s what tomorrows are for, anyways.
Feeling good about your life is up to you. So, how’s this for my next goal, or is it a reward? Donuts, coffee, and watercolor painting. Life is good! Don’t worry; I’m sharing the donuts.
