Today’s post is about what happens when you start the new year with a fresh outlook and a long list of goals, but challenges arise a bit sooner than you expected. Anyone with me here? From time to time on Mirror80, I enjoy reflecting on life issues, and staying motivated can be a big one for people who make time for creative endeavors…and all of life’s other demands! Sometimes it’s hard to look up, especially in the dead of winter when the sky can be gray for days (or weeks) at a time.
January has been a very challenging month for me. The first week and a half were great–I was able to stick to my goals and basically stay on some sort of a routine. The weather was extremely dreary, but I decided to roll with it. Then a lot happened at once, from some extra responsibilities that created a few very long days to dealing with our kitty’s health issues (he’s needed a lot of extra TLC). And the weather has continued to be dreary, making it difficult to get out and do the things that usually bring me peace and calm.
I started to get into a bit of a funk. Not to mention, it’s frustrating to have so many plans for 2015 and to see them so easily sidelined during the first part of the new year. But especially because it’s so early in the year, there’s no way I’m letting a few setbacks and a couple weeks of winter weather get the best of me. See the faux greenery in the image above? Remember when I spray painted it silver and gave it a Deco makeover in this DIY project? I’ve covered it with lights, and I’ve decided that it gets to stay on my shelf well past the end of the holidays. Because sometimes you need a little bit of extra light until spring arrives…
And in some strange way, this past week has been a good test for me. There are many daily goals I’d set for myself that I’ve been able to keep up with, even in the middle of this wacky week. Sure, not everything got done, but that’s better than nothing getting done, right?! The sun is out again, and we’re supposed to have milder weather for the next five days. I was able to finally take the potted plants out of the garage and put them back in the yard for now. And it’s nice to see blue sky again!
There will be other cold fronts in the coming weeks, and plenty of setbacks. That’s life. But lately it’s occurred to me that the point of setting goals isn’t to check them all off a list on a regular basis, but to have some something meaningful to return to when the skies finally clear.
How do you stay motivated when challenging circumstances arise? Leave a comment below–I’d love to hear your thoughts…
AWESOME post and think piece Kate! a really different type of thing than what normally draws me to Mirror80.
A couple of years ago I got annoyed with myself for repeatedly missing targets. My thought process for a long time had been ‘why havent I got this done, it should be so easy’. What I decided to do was to look at my proper long term targets first. Personally, my main thing is to be retired at 50, able to do the running around my kids who will be teenagers then, and able to spend my days playing golf and taking the boat out. Planning the next decade ahead make me quickly realise that the bulk of the retirement money would almost certainly be coming in the five years before retirement, so I really had a lot of time to play with right now.
I then discussed with my family what we all enjoy doing the most. I booked these things in (and anticipated a few more that we will probably do in the next few years) to the calendar on my iPad, going up to 2020! These are my unbreakables; the matter what deadline I have, is the calendar says we are going iceskating on a certain day, we are going!
So now my working week is broken down into sensible targets which will almost certainly see me achieve all I want to the next five years. I found the key was to underestimate what I can achieve. I have a new children’s fashion company on the go – I could reasonably have sold a couple of hundred T-shirts this month. But no, because I scheduled something much more gradual across this first year of business, ive instead set up an awesome birthday party for my daughter, had a mini clear out of electronics (making £300 from one single day of posting things on Facebook and forums), spent a heck of a lot of time playing with my children, and of course still managed to make decent money from my main job.
Instead of sitting here thinking that I could’ve done a lot more for my new business this month, i’ve actually achieved more than I had planned, which means I’m happy and I’m relaxed! being able to think ahead and see my new business being something very cool in a couple of years time is currently that thing that, as you so brilliantly say, gives me something meaningful to return to 🙂
Thank you for your kind words, Mark, and for writing such a thoughtful response. I love what you’ve said about consciously underestimating what you can achieve, and creating sensible targets. I also admire the way you’ve prioritized your family, as well as achieving a happy and relaxed state that fosters creativity for your new business. Congrats on your venture–it’s not easy to do, especially with a family and a full-time job. And thank you for giving me so much to think about! Creative side ventures are not easy, especially when life is already so full. It’s nice to hear from others who are living their passion!