Anyone who has ever made a resolution discovers that the strength
of their determination fades with time.
The important thing is not that your resolve never wavers,
but that you don’t get down on yourself when it does and throw in the towel.
~Daisaku Ikeda
23 down. 7 to go:
I have made a commitment to write (and share) every day for 30 days. Some days it’s been a joy – especially those days when I have time to truly craft or be playful on the page. It’s also rewarding when I’m feeling a bit righteous and want to make a little noise about something on my heart. Unfortunately, not all days are sunshine. When I’m tired, or my day simply hasn’t gone as planned, I often debate skipping and just catching up the next day.
But so far I haven’t done that.
It’s difficult, continuing. I think it’s important to just acknowledge that. Even if you enjoy something, you may not enjoy it the same every day. And even if you’re committed to something, your commitment may not look the same every day. But here’s the thing… even though we acknowledge something is not as easy as we’d like, I think we owe it to our commitment not spend too much time lamenting.
Lamenting is the magic expander. It makes everything loom larger than it actually is. This is so hard, we think to ourselves over and over again. And suddenly we’ve made the thing heavier. We’ve made the task larger. And then it becomes too much! We mop our brow, woozy from the imagined strain. Tomorrow, we think. Maybe I can manage it tomorrow.
Just when I’m whipping out the handkerchief, ready to call it a night, I often realize that I have the same power to shrink the task as I had to enlarge it. And I tell the lamenter thank you, but your services are no longer needed. I remind myself of my original goal, and go from there.
My goal is to build a writing habit. That means I simply need to write. Something. Anything. Even a five-minute freewrite.
It all counts.
That doesn’t mean there won’t come a day when you really don’t have it in you. Not five minutes. Not five words. And that’s okay, too. On those days, be gentle with yourself. Who deserves your love, if not you? Don’t give up on your original determination. Don’t give up on you.
And this makes 24. 9:53 p.m. Home office.
This is golden: “Just when I’m whipping out the handkerchief, ready to call it a night, I often realize that I have the same power to shrink the task as I had to enlarge it. And I tell the lamenter thank you, but your services are no longer needed. I remind myself of my original goal, and go from there.”
Great post Nicole! I admittedly beat myself up about not continuing a goal, a routine or something I want to be habit. But as you point out commitment doesn’t have to look the same everyday. I might try this 30 day challenge and share. I’m not ready to commit yet. 🙂
thanks dina, bina. the 30 day challenge has definitely been interesting. pros and cons. i figure i can do most things (but not everything) for a short and clearly designated period of time. and this one happened with a group of ppl, so it has community accountability. you could consider a week if you’re not ready for 30. i learned a lot even in the first few days. lots of enthusiasm some days. lots of resistance other days. it’s a revealing process. much harder than exercising regularly. 🙂