Saturday, December 7, 2013

Simple Motivation, and a 90 Day Challenge

This post is a nod to the Insecure Writers Support Group, which I missed this week.  Check it out here.  I have continued to struggle with motivation and drive these past few months.  I think one of the reasons I've been so stuck lately is that I have lost hope of change.  I'm afraid that nothing will ever change.  That I will never become a "real" author.  That I will always be stuck in a job that drains me and leaves me an empty husk.  Forever.
I was in a particular funky funk one day and had an idea. An awful idea.  A wonderfully awful idea. (yes, that was Seuss).   I was staring at yet another facebook friend's post about their 90 day weight loss challenge.  And I thought about how long 90 days really is.  And how much you could break down a goal.  Then I realized that there is a LOT you can do in 90 days.  So what if I'm still stuck in this career twenty years from now.  I won't think about it.  I will think about the things that I can do now.  Not twenty years from now.  Or ten.  Or even one.  Just three months.  90 days.  That's not so bad. 

I'd like to challenge you to think about what you could accomplish in 90 days.  Don't be too grand.  Be realistic about it.  Think about the things you always tell yourself you "should" do.  For example, I always say I should meditate more.  If you do a little bit every day toward your goal, I think you'll be surprised how that adds up over 90 days.  For me a lot of it is about heading off the procrastination before I even get the chance to put something off.  Here's my list:

  1. Pay off the "holiday loan" we had to get to repair our vehicles (by taking the extra income from my new job and making a payment EVERY paycheck, instead of saying I'm going to make a big payment once a month and not doing it when the time comes).
  2. Finish and query my work in progress.  (By getting up and working on it for an hour every morning before work, rather than trying to make time after work or on the weekends when I'm too tired or distracted.)
  3. Lose 20 pounds (By biking from my new job, and practicing for my dance class a little bit every day rather than a big practice session once or twice a week.)
  4.  Log 30 hours of loving kindness (metta) meditation.  (10 min. twice a day= 1800 min.)





2 comments:

  1. Wonderful goals! And I like your approach of breaking them down into smaller, achievable steps. Good luck to you--I hope you'll post your progress as you move forward!

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  2. 90 days is a long time, and yet it flies by so quickly. I hope you meet all of your goals and get the funk out.

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I'd love to hear your musings :)