It’s Tuesday night, I’m the only one awake, and my mind is going non-stop. Â Everything I want to do…photography, writing, drawing, Etsy. Â I’ve been thinking about this a lot lately. Â More than a lot; I’m preoccupied with it. Â I feel like I’m on a treadmill, running, running, running, but not getting anywhere. Â Not because of any physical obstacles, just because I am my own worst enemy. Â I think of my goal list, my to do list, my self challenge list and when I think about each thing individually it doesn’t look so daunting, but when I start to combine them and figure out the when and where of it all I feel like Sisyphus doomed to roll a boulder up the hill for eternity. Â Never ending. Â
So in an effort to actually get somewhere my dear friend Thauna and I are committing ourselves to actually work on what we say we are going to do one day. Â And to keep ourselves accountable we are updating weekly. Â My agenda doesn’t cut it, hopefully this will. Â I know I can’t do it all. Â I know I need to lose my perfectionist “Do it all. Â Do it perfect.” ways in order to get get just something done. Anything done. Â I know this will be a learning experience about myself as well. Â Other than that, I’m going by the seat of my pants. Â But with a few stipulations…
Write. Â I can’t quite describe it but I see things in a certain way in my mind….dates, days, weeks, months, tasks, deadlines. Â Even though I can see everything on a timeline in my head and it makes perfect sense to me, I need to see it on paper. Â I need to categorize, prioritize, notate, and accomplish.
Challenge. Â Just to get the creative juices flowing, doing something, even just one thing each week, that I wouldn’t normally do. Â Take a step outside my comfort zone.
Accept. Â Everything is a work in process. Â Nothing is perfect. Â Things take time and what I think is finished now may be something I end up coming back to later. Â
Reflect: Â What do I want to be doing? Â Am I doing that? Â Am I moving closer to my goals? Â Are my goals changing? Â When I was little I always said I wanted to be an artist when I grew up. Â I still do, but what does that mean to my adult self?
Just do. Â
As much as this is about getting things done, it’s about who I am as a person. Â Not a wife, not a mom, just Lizzi.
Until next Tuesday…
Haley says
Something that helps me is setting daily goals. Find one thing that either really needs done or you want to get done and make it happen that day. It gives you something to focus on and makes the list seem more realistic to accomplish. One day at a time…
M.J. says
I know exactly how you feel. There are so many things I want to do that I simply haven't been making time for. Maybe I should join in this weekly-update-being-held-accountable thing….
Thauna says
Love the way you verbalized this. Write, Challenge, Accept, Reflect, Just do!
red-handed says
Lots of notebooks and DO NOT EDIT AS YOU WRITE/DRAW. That's *honestly* my best advice. Good luck!
Jo says
Great post and I hope putting it all out there helps you in achieving more of what you want to do!
Brandie says
You can do it!! I hope you accomplish everything you set out to do, and more! You have constantly got me thinking that I need to set my own goals…which is good!
sammy says
3 things:
my wife will be telling me about some important thing we have to do in a few weeks and i'll stop her mid-sentence and say, 'wait wait wait, dont tell me about it, show me on the calendar. i also have to see everything.
i feel your angst. im the same way playa. i actually started to post something last night, (more like this morning) but got too tired to finish so i just posted it a few minutes ago. when i wrote it, my loud brain and i were like you, also the only one's awake.
i saw thauna's page first and blabbed waaaay too much over there. just cut and paste your name (and mine) and read it as i wrote it to you ; )…(and me)
Brenda says
First, I am so fond of moving furniture. As was my mother! We laugh about it in our family that we have " furniture moving gene."
It does make things feel and look different. It gives you a boost.
I also understand why you mean about projects and lists and getting it all done. I find every day life gets in my way, but a list definitely helps.
I think every day you just have to do something! You will be amazed at how much you accomplish.
Now, I am going to start taking my own advice.
teri says
YES everything IS a work in progress isn't it? Always emerging, I think. I know people who get it done and check it off, and I LOVE tasks like that but not everything in life can be so simple so yes, some things in life really have to be a work in progress. Good call, Lizzi, good call.
Lisa says
sounds like a great plan as we launch into spring. I'm always ready to start making changes when spring comes–much more so than the beginning of the calendar year. I think I'll take a cue from you!
Holli says
This post really hit home with me. Thank you.
I honestly think my problem with getting things done is the same problem I had in elementary school… too social. Too worried about missing out on something when i need to just focus on me.