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Tag: blogging
Resolutions: Not just for January anymore
It’s almost February, so how are you doing with your resolution? Have you lost all 50 pounds, gone to the gym every day, and read those 30 books on your list? Ok. I’m being a jerk for a reason: I really don’t like resolutions.
Goals are great! I actually bought a new paper-based daily/weekly planner for that reason (more on the Passion Planner later). I love setting and achieving goals, but more importantly, they give me something to work toward. Without them, I feel like I am drifting.
How do you know where you’re going without some sort of roadmap? It doesn’t matter if you ever really get to the destination, but you’ve got to start somewhere.
So it’s almost February. Why not take stock of how you’ve come in the last month? Instead of totally scrapping the resolution/goal/roadmap, why not try to take a different turn at it? Instead of going to the gym every day, maybe you can make it to the gym twice a week? Instead of writing 1000 words a day, try writing for 15 minutes. Perhaps you can eat vegetarian dinners instead of trying to go all day without meat? And as always, celebrate your successes. Going to the gym 3 times in January is a great start! It’s three times more than I made it to a gym, certainly!
What resolutions or goals have you made, and are you planning on revising them?
Catching Up, Checking In
It’s been 75 days since my last post, and I’m feeling it.
The summer is gone, I’m in a new house (eeee!), I have hardly written or kept a routine for the intervening 2.5 months. That being said, excuse this post for being scattered.
Last weekend I went on a second writer retreat with my writing group. As was expected, we got very little writing done, but much talking and fun was had by all. More importantly, we got to re-establish where we were going as a group.
When you write (or do anything) as an individual, you can set your own pace. I get to write or ignore my characters as much as I want to, and the only person whose feelings I have to worry about are my own. If I put off writing a blog post, it’s not like my followers are going to rise up against me. You may be disappointed that I’m not here to brighten your day, but I can handle that kind of disappointment. I don’t kid myself into believing that I’m really all that important.
But, when you work on a group project, you have to deal with egos and schedules, with points of view and disagreements. You have to be flexible. When people don’t act in the way you want them to, maybe you can have some empathy, try to understand why they are acting (or reacting) in the ways they are.
This past weekend with my writing group helped me remember that sometimes it’s important to step back and remember why you came together as a group in the first place. Conflict doesn’t have to break us, and it is unavoidable, but it doesn’t have to break our relationships. It can make us stronger. Our group came together because we wanted to write and be more creative, but we also wanted to support one another. These were the original goals for our group, and when we left our little cabin on Sunday morning, we hoped that these goals would help to bring us together again.
I don’t really have any deep meaning, I just wanted to share a little something. Hope you’re having a wonderful day, and go outside!
“Open your eyes to all the love around you” (Dove chocolate wrapper wisdom for your Monday).
Perfect is the Enemy
It has been said, by people much wiser than I, that perfect is the enemy of good. Perfect is also the enemy of getting started, or going anywhere, or finishing or anything else, really. Because perfect is fear-inducing. Perfect is impossible.
So, with that, I begin. Because waiting isn’t the hardest part, it’s the fear and the worry and all the other stuff that keeps us from living a small and centered life. By waiting until the time is right, we can miss out on all the good things we never knew could happen. By trying to schedule things into the perfect time and the perfect place, we lose the spontaneity of the moment, the joy of the center, and the fun of exploration.
This blog isn’t about anything in particular. It’s about everything. It’s about my favorite things and my worries. It’s about my fears and my loves. It’s about the things that brighten my day and those that stand in the way of my happiness. You’re not going to find amazing make-up tutorials here. You’re not going to see beautiful pictures of mountaintops and lovely party-ready tables.
You may find something here that makes you think, however. I hope you find a little peace here. I hope you gain some courage to take a step in your own life. And I hope maybe once in a while, I’ll make you laugh.
This life is beautiful. Enjoy it!
smallandcentered 