Just when I thought I was coming out of this…whatever you want to call it… Funk? Uncentered self? Hiatus? Idontknowwhattheheckisgoingon?
Maybe I’ll just take a pass on even labelling it. Suffice it to say, these crazy times we are living in has made building new, positive habits difficult and leave it at that, shall we?
So…coming out of this (whateveryouwanttocallit) and building new, positive habits. Not the easiest thing ever. For those of you caught in the same temporal anomaly (yes, I watch Star Trek, Lower Decks the other day – the phrase just stuck in my head), you are likely going through the same/similar struggles as I am.
But, as I learned when writing my first book (and still have to occasionally relearn), the best way to overcome some big obstacle is one small win at a time. Just make sure you define what a win is first so you know what it looks like (and be kind – don’t set that bar too high, at least, initially).
So, just what does a win look like to me?
Some of my ideas of wins are:
- getting in 10,000 steps a day (exercise is important)
- doing 20 minutes of editing on my next book (I will be talking about the new book/series in the coming weeks)
- doing 20 minutes of writing on my next collaboration with JR Murdock (Jack Kane 3 for those of you keeping track)
- hanging out with my wife for more than 30 minutes (busy schedules often get in the way)
- seeing my children (they have their own lives so that is easier said than done)
- updating this website (just by writing this post I’m winning – see how easy it can be?)
I also have to beware (be aware?) of those things that might interfere in my wins. Too much time playing Soda Crush comes to mind immediately. Also, ignoring nice days for walks is bad. Eating potato chips while laying on the couch comes to mind (this one is allowed once per week).
Building on the wins
I made the mistake early on where I had a couple consecutive wins (like the ones above). I immediately escalated my expectations and, predictably, crashed and burned. Habits take time and so too, should your personal allowance on winning. Get into that winning habit before you try to climb the bigger hill.
At least, that’s what I’m telling myself. So far (this week) it is working. I’ll just keep trying build on my successes.
Will focusing on the small wins work for you? I’m no therapist, but I’ve never found focusing on the positive to be a bad thing. Give it a try and let me know how you’re doing. I know, one of the big struggles for me has been the isolation. Not knowing how the people around me are doing always pulls me away from the wins.
Until next time…
Look at that. Put another checkmark into the win column for me!
