Yes! It is possible - and easy! - to have fun while reaching your goals, dreams, ambitions... or whatever you want to call it. :-)
It would be so easy to stick my fingers in my ears and sing, so I couldn’t “hear” the prompting of goals, to-do’s and moving forward with my intentions, dreams, vision, mission, whatever-title-you-choose-to-name-that-‘thing’-that-pulls-you-forward. There is a tendency to forget we have the capacity to make nearly anything and everything fun. Note to self: remember to make this fun and share that giddy, goofy, get-it-done energy with others.
As I was saying -
There are two weeks left until my younger kids go back to school and I get my daytime life back.
I figure I could use that time and then the first two weeks they are in school to procrastinate and then keep my ears plugged with my fingers and then wake up in September with a startled gasp and wonder what I should do next and let panic rule my day and I know after all these years how very ineffective this tactic is for me.
Panic doesn’t equal more productivity for me, it equals more paranoia and more “sticking head under the pillow time.” These feelings are definitely not fun.
“It’s the dawn of a new month,” the cliché fairy sings, “let’s dawn some positive intentions along with it!”
Now I (or we) have a few choices.
- Scoff at the Cliché fairy.
- Smile alongside the Cliché fairy and pull out my notebook but don’t open it.
- Laugh with myself, get out my notebook and give my brain and heart the space to drizzle some ideas out there on this first day of the month so that by the end of the day (or tomorrow by the end of the day) I can shape and mold what an ideal month would look like for me. Now this is beginning to sound like fun!
Yes, there are countless other choices available - you and I know this - but these are pretty much my standard. Realizing how my first hour of awakeness so far today, I would have unconsciously chosen number 2 if I hadn’t taken my fingers out of my ears and shut up long enough to let the Cliché fairy woo me just a little bit.
After all, there is a side of me that loves the idea of twirling about in an island of tulle and lace.
Today I have several “must do’s” on my plate that involve other people’s requests of me. I am babysitting my grandson at 9 for a couple hours or so. I am meeting friends for a play at 6:30ish depending upon my Momschlepping my middle daughter and her friends to the same theater.
None of these tasks interfere with my brain/heart drizzle, a fun companion activity to stir up my Friday.
One of the grand things about this plan is I don’t have to complete it today and if I somehow slip up, I can return at any time on any day and claim a do-over and simply begin again. I can’t think of anything that soothes me more to know right now.
You may be wondering how to keep this brain/heart drizzle going.
Here’s how:
- Close your eyes and put your right hand over your heart.
- Take a couple nice deep breaths, focused on clearing out any traces of negativity you may be feeling.
- With your eyes closed and your negativity cleared, ask yourself silently, “What would be the best choices for me to make this month in order to reach my goals (be a good mother, make the world a better place, contribute to my community, get into better shape, put whichever fits the best for you here.)?
- Allow yourself to continue to breathe in silence for even just 15 seconds.
- Go about your day and when you think of it, repeat the question either silently or aloud.
- Be aware of any thoughts that come into your awareness throughout the day that relate back to your initial question. To make this step extra fun, I’ve been known to actually shout-out “Thank you!” which made my children laugh when they were little. Now it makes me laugh with me.
- At night, sit with your notebook or a big sheet of paper and write or doodle whatever comes up without pre-thinking or forcing it, just ask the question again and let yourself go onto the paper.
- Repeat these steps for up to three days to create a firm foundation for your goals (or whatever you want to name them) for your next week, month or quarter.
Congratulations! THANK YOU! Brava! You rock! “Now, let’s take on the world!”
Isn’t the Cliché fairy adorable in purple?
I'm participating in the August NaBloPoMo from BlogHer. Its been a while since I've joined the fun there and yes, the timing is perfect. Note: it is primarily perfect because I decided it would be. :-)
The image will take you to the page where you might want to join in as well. Hope to see you there!
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Julie Jordan Scott is a writer, performance poet, Mommy and mixed-media artist. Coming soon - more creativity camps, playgrounds and workshops to grow yourself artistically (and hey, just for fun!)
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