One of the best decisions I’ve made was to begin a journey into personal- development. I’ve been interested in it for years but didn’t take it too seriously. But lately, it’s been like wildfire.
My main reason for diving into improving myself was that I’m running out of time as a woman in her 50s. I have more time behind me than I have in front of me. EEK. Unnnless, I live to be 110, which would be nice. Maybe.
I was listening to a podcast about making decisions. It talked about making a solid decision on one thing and following through with it, no matter what. Not just any decision though, one that makes your heart beat faster-sort of like falling in love did.
This can be scary because of fear creeping in.
It’s easier to say ‘I’ll do it some other day’ than to follow through with it and then let it fade slooowwly away until its ashes are at the bottom of your memories.
It can be hard to follow through on a personal goal we want to accomplish; to push through and not stop until it’s attained.
But, I believe, the idea that lights you up like a Christmas tree and causes you to say, “I should do that!” is a good decision worth pursuing.
So, so, so, many ideas I have had over the years that I’ve let die. One example is when I wanted to make gloves to sell at a craft fair or someplace similar. That didn’t work out, mainly because I quit after a few failures. That idea needed to die, though!
The same with the many bad short stories I’ve written. They died, too. Well, I trashed them is more like it.
We all have to sift through the imposter ideas or goals to go for the real ones.
The real ones, I believe, are those that have your emotions all over them and you can’t quite forget because they pop in and out of your spirit time and time again. These are the chase-worthy ones, even if it IS scary.
For the real ideas, the decision to chase after them is improving yourself- socially, emotionally, and physically. Improve who we are and it will automatically improve the world around us.
As a teacher, I like setting goals and sharing them with my students so I can be an example, though it doesn’t matter to some students.
Some students push aside the tenacity to improve their abilities for school. Oh, but they will play video games until the sun rises the next morning. I know this from all the comments I hear in my classroom.
If only they had that kind of commitment to education!
But I know some students won’t because their environment dictates their lack of enthusiasm for improving, and I see that is a problem.
But I believe the more proficient they are at reading and math the more confident they become in all areas, and how they view their education is usually a predictor of how their life may turn out.
I can’t help it. I tell my students the truth. I say, “This is where you are, and this is where you need to be. You will struggle but if you work hard, school will become easier.”
Struggle causes improvement. If they possess the right attitude, then they will succeed.
This translates to us all, doesn’t it?
I don’t care how old we are, even as adults, we should level up every year, in at least one area of our lives. The current year shouldn’t look the same as last year, and the next year, new goals must be set and reached, even if it is as simple as learning a new crochet stitch, another language, more Excel tips…or finding a whole new career path.
I remember wanting to ask a former boss of mine if the company he works for needed a newsletter. It rolled around for months in my spirit until I got the courage to ask.
All he could say was “no”, right?
A harmless two-letter word, but for some reason, it was not easy to ask- it was a struggle in my emotions.
I finally just did it one evening. I sent an email.
Now, I’ve been working on the newsletter for over a year and absolutely love it.
God gave us all the ability to learn and to create those ideas that excite us into something amazing. Why squander it with wasting time?
And by the way, don’t wait for perfection as many of my excuses have been. Diving into an area of discovery about something you want to do, or accomplish, will be messy for a while.
Messiness, disorganization, and getting frustrated are all a part of learning until it all smooths out. Given enough time and practice, it works out.
We do. We learn. We fail. We do it again.
We learn more. Then, as progress will have it, we are better than the year before.
The sweet smell of success is going through the struggle…with the best attitude you can muster!
Much love,
Sharon
Your thoughts?