At times I find myself listening to that critical voice within that feeds on negativity. You know the one. That nagging internal harpy that condemns you for not getting enough accomplished, for failing to follow through on this or that, for not… well, you get the picture. I’m not saying that there is no validity to what that voice has to say, it’s just well… listening to a constant diatribe of negativity is enough to leave anyone discouraged.
I try to keep that voice at bay by setting smaller goals, meaningful but achievable, goals I can accomplish daily. Stop and think about what makes up your day. If it’s anything like mine, there’s very little time left for you at the end of the day. I have found that if I want to accomplish anything outside my daily obligations, I have to be very specific about what it is I want to achieve, and plan ahead.
For example, I have set a goal that I want to write one thousand words a week. I know, for a writer that seems like a pretty insignificant amount. But those thousand words are in addition to the time I spend writing in my Journal, or reworking life- stories. See there is that negative voice driving me to justify my actions. The point is, in reality I have to carve out time in my busy day to sit in front of the computer and bang out those words. For me that time can come from one of three available time slices. I write at my desk before work, during lunch, or steal an hour away from my family in the evening.
I feel good about myself when I meet that challenge. When I meet that goal consistently, I will raise my expectations and perhaps shoot for 1500 words. Right now my goal is meaningful and achievable. I try to take small steps every day with my weekly goal firmly in mind. I understand that because my life is so busy, I won’t always be successful. And if my little voice of disapproval begins to cry out, I remind it… Take a step every day. The length of the stride doesn’t matter. Just keep moving forward.
rdfindlay 