We want to claim and proclaim many great things in 2021 and for the rest of our lives. How do we do that? Consistency, mindfulness and minding your business. It sounds simple and it is totally achievable. In life, our progress and ability to overcome obstacles require our active participation. Yes, you as the individual will have to make those moves. We need to start doing more for ourselves and spread that energy out into the world. You can better help others once you can do at least one thing consistently that is healthy and that puts you a step closer to achieving your goals.
Consistency is the mother of all progression. It is a narrow road. Erraticism, however, is the creator of all retrogression. It is a wide road with many onlookers - Lines of Love & Living. My latest book on Amazon. Available on KDP for free.
Consistency
If you try to do everything all at once, it will be hard to consistently do them all. If you try to do things perfectly, you will frustrate yourself as waiting for perfection is a quick way to give up. It is more important to be consistent and get better at tasks. Consistency means doing the things you need to or want to do whether you feel like it or not. To be consistent requires you to "just do it." Here is how you can get better at being consistent whether you are learning a new skill or just striving to meet a long-term or short term goal:
Allocate time within your day for that specific task. I have set calendar reminders that go off 10 minutes before just so I knew it is time to start crocheting.
Understand that feelings come and go. You might not feel like doing it now but you have to. Your goals depend on this. You depend on this.
When you perform the task, it might not go perfectly and that is okay. It does not need to be perfect. You just need to do it. Progress, knowing that you are getting better each day.
How much time you dedicate to becoming consistent will depend entirely on you and the goal that you are trying to accomplish. Some tasks require more time in order for you to get better. You can participate in our free 14 day Consistency: A Better Me Challenge to kickstart your mission and stay accountable. The challenge is also linked here for desktop users.
Mindfulness
We have heard this time and time again- be present in the moment. Once upon a time, the term "mindfulness" was not really a thing as it used to happen seamlessly. Regardless, we need to live in the moment and pay attention to what is happening now. This could mean actively learning a new skill or simply putting down your phone to pay attention to those around you. It can also mean really focusing on what you need to get done, not just for the sake just getting it done but getting it done well and feeling satisfied. This is how consistency and mindfulness go together. You can consistently do a task but paying attention to details and finding gratification in the process helps to improve your ability to be consistent.
Here is how you can practice mindfulness:
Take notice of what you are doing. Pay attention to the sounds, smell, taste, look and feel. I still remember the smell, taste and feel of rain from back home. It just does not feel the same anywhere else.
Listen to your thoughts. You can even document how you feel. Understand what you are feeling. Ask yourself if you like feeling this way, if not, think of what you can do to improve it.
Be quiet for a moment. Notice your breathing or how your mind might wanders ,or gets a little lost. That is okay. Normal. No one has it all figured out. Feel yourself and be in oneness with that.
Be kind and nurturing to yourself. Do not become obsessed over how your thoughts flow.
Set your intentions for the day and mentally check in with yourself.
Be present in the moment. Take in every beat. -An excerpt from Lines of Love & Living.
Minding Your Business
Don't be offended. In this context, minding your business just means taking care of your responsibilities and focusing less on others and theirs. When you mind your business, your priorities become clear. You compare less and you work smarter and better. The success or failure of others should not necessarily impact your standards for yourself. Figure out what you want and what your standards are. Find what is acceptable but also challenge yourself. You will be surprised at how much you can accomplish. This is how I am minding my business this year:
I am choosing to write more and create but I also realize that even with good content you have to market yourself. Do what works for you.
I picked up crocheting as it helps to relieve some of the stress from working from home and gives me separation.
I am supporting mainly small businesses by engaging with their content.
I am taking the time to do more for myself because we all need to heal, grow and invest in our future self.
Choose your hard. You can either progress through difficult times or stay in the same place. Remember, we are not striving for perfection because it does not really exist. Consistency trumps all of that. Now go mind your business, be consistent and practice mindfulness. A year or a few weeks from now we will see who was really working. We, the people, are rooting for you!
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