I accomplished a lot in 2018, and I finally feel like I’m getting back on track with where I want to go — in my self-care, personal life, career. It amazes me how much (and how long) the events of 2015-2017 affected me. I guess it’s sobering to realize I’m vulnerable after all, not the hard-ass everyone tells me I am. It’s also refreshing. I’m fascinated by the vast discrepancy between how we see ourselves versus how others see us. Somewhere between the two is an overlap where the facts of self live… Perception wrinkles my brain, in a good way of course.
One way I’ve been able to drill down on what’s important (to me) to get done (each day, week, month, year) is by creating AND using a time management routine complete with calendars task tracker, and a time tracker. Every month, I go back and look at what I planned to do versus what I actually did. It’s an eye-opening exercise to see exactly where I go off track, when I tend to procrastinate, and what’s happening around me and inside me that plays into those detours. On the flip side, it’s invigorating to see how often I’m ON track, NOT procrastinating, and doing EXACTLY what I want to be doing. Something I’ve learned the last 18 months is to acknowledge what I do accomplish instead of only seeing where I missed the mark. I credit my increased productivity and completed goals to this subtle shift in focus.
Part of my plan is to get back to blogging on a regular basis. I’ve been spending all my writing time (yes, I actually schedule it) on journaling, business writing and fiction, in that order. Yet I also want to write about the books I read, issues on my mind, movies I love, quotes that inspire me. Another thing I learned over the last 18 months: it’s okay to only “review” the books and movies I liked or loved. I gave myself permission to stop assigning a number rating to a book unless I loved (4 stars) or adored (5 stars) it. To accomplish my blog goals, I’m going to publish some older posts I’ve had in draft mode for years (yes, years!!), and I have a couple new 30-day challenges drafted and a handful of listicles to share over the coming months.
So life is good. It’s not perfect, but it’s mine — my choices, my mistakes, my successes — and I’m happy.
Have you ever attempted a challenge? Like a 30-day “no TV” or “no spending” or “no fast food” challenge? If so, how’d it go? What’d you learn from the experience?
Photo credit: Jess Watters on StockSnap