Lately I’ve been posting early on Monday’s trying to get into a consistent schedule. So before my planned camping trip over the weekend I had a post ready for first thing this morning. So why was there no post this morning?
During the weekend I thought to myself that I often have this cheer-leading attitude in my posts and can make it sound so easy to ‘just get off the wheel and work on your dream.’ Truth is it is simple but it’s also not so simple. It’s a process and often a bumpy one.
For the last few months I’ve been on a strict weekly schedule that has done wonders in terms of productivity for my take-life-as-it-comes kind of personality. Last week I managed to mark off all the things on the schedule. I had a super productive week, got lots done including editing my upcoming book. I felt awesome! Look out world because I’m this super productive ninja and nothing can stop me now.
I felt completely prepared and ready to go play the entire weekend. After all, the plan was to be back on my schedule first thing today.
Well, that all got shattered this morning. I got home late last night, woke up hours later than normal and I was exhausted! My Monday 5 a.m. – 7 a.m. slot said: “Get post up.” Tired and already running hours behind I thought, “Eh, I’ll get the post up tonight” and just move things around on my schedule. No biggie.
Until the feeling of failure hit me for not sticking to my schedule and being productive. I should have forced myself to get up I thought. Got to stick to that schedule! Don’t start slacking now!
Then I realized that I was tired and it was okay. That just because I’m having an off-day doesn’t mean my entire week will be unproductive. It was a good reality check.
So why am I sharing this instead of the originally planned post? Because we all need a reminder that our dream may sound so simple on paper but in reality there are obstacles, off days and so many things that will make you want to say “screw it” on those days when you feel as if you failed what you originally set out to do.
Don’t beat yourself up when you have a non-productive day. I have to remind myself of this and I’m sure you do too. Write it off and forget about it. Tomorrow is a new day. You live, you learn and you do better next time. Next time I go camping for the weekend my Monday morning schedule will be blocked out with the words “Recover from the weekend! It’s okay!”
I love this quote by Richard Branson. “Do not be embarrassed by your failures, learn from them and start again.”
What are some things you go through when you feel like you didn’t achieve what you set out to do?
I can’t tell you how much this post means to me. I’m going to print this out and remind myself that I am enough and am not a failure for not accomplishing all of my goals for the week.
That’s awesome! Glad the post helped you. Think of it this way…by having goals you are a lot further ahead than if you didn’t set any, even when you only accomplish some of them. And that’s a win! Strange how we have to remind ourselves that. We’re so quick on beating ourselves up.
This is great advice. It’s so easy to just give up when you get off track with a schedule, but that’s the worst thing you can do! (I know from experience). You’re right; one bad day doesn’t have to mean a bad week.
Rock on!
Donella Crigger recently posted…How to Put an End to the Never-ending Workday
This is great advice! I needed to hear this today.
Laura recently posted…There is no such thing as balance