Today was an awesome day! I treated myself to a good, long 10-hour sleep and woke up feeling super energized. After doing a kinda strange gratitude meditation and a bit of stretching, I started thinking about something I’ve always found tough—being thankful, both to myself and those around me.
I tend to always think about what I haven’t achieved and feel guilty about my to-do lists. If I don’t finish everything on the list, I end up blaming myself. Even when I do finish, it’s just a quick feeling of being satisfied—nothing too exciting.
Lately, I’ve even thought about saying, “Goodbye, to-do lists!” But let’s be real, I won’t be giving them up anytime soon. Planning things is something I enjoy; it makes me feel like I have control over my life. This is coming from someone who found herself pregnant without a stable job or insurance—a clear sign of life being unpredictable.
Controlling my husband, my life, my achievements, even my free time—yeah, it might sound a bit weird, but that’s how I lived for years. Should I change it? Most likely. Why? Well, despite carefully setting yearly, quarterly, monthly, weekly, and daily goals, I often find myself not following the plan.
And then it happens—I don’t follow the plan. Despite spending lots of time planning every detail of my goals, the execution falls flat. Take losing weight, for example—a constant goal on my yearly plans for the past decade. Have I achieved it? Not at all. Why? I still don’t have a 100% answer. Maybe it’s society making me think I was overweight, or perhaps it’s a comfort zone I’m afraid to leave.
So, if you’re like me—an achiever with big dreams and detailed plans that often get delayed—here are a few lessons I’ve learned that might make sense to you:
One Dream at a Time
Don’t spread yourself thin by focusing on five goals at once. Progress will be slow on all fronts. Instead, focus on one dream at a time.
Avoid Overplanning
It’s demotivating to have a long list. Limit yourself to three achievable tasks a day. Quality over quantity.
Praise Yourself
Be thankful for completing those three tasks. Recognize that, thanks to them, you are already a better version of yourself from yesterday.
Change Takes Time
You can’t change your life overnight. Practice and repetition will gradually make you feel better about yourself and help you achieve more.
Give it a try; you’ve got nothing to lose! Remember, it’s not about changing everything at once but making small, consistent improvements. You’ve got this!