Motivation Monday: You Will Achieve Grand Dreams a Day at a Time

Sometimes it's easy to be overwhelmed. Sometimes the pure magnitude of things I need to do seem so daunting that I'll just lay in bed pressing snooze as I think about everything I'm putting off and my deadlines inching closer. And closer. And closer.

Granted, I think everyone experiences some level of this at some time. But I know the importance goals play in helping me prioritize and enabling me to jump out of bed excited about the prospects of the day and all that I can—and will—accomplish.

Today's Motivation Monday quote is by the same person as last week's. (Did I mention that I'm in awe of this Og Mandino.) And it reminds me of an earlier post about goals.

Anyways:

"You will achieve grand dreams a day at a time. So set goals for each day. Not long & difficult projects, but chores that will take you step by step toward your rainbow. Write them down, if you must, but limit your list so that you won't have to drag today's undone matters into tomorrow. Remember that you cannot build your pyramid in 24 hours. Be patient. Never allow your day to become so cluttered that you neglect your most important goal to do the best you can. Enjoy this day and rest satisfied with what you have accomplished."
—Og Mandino

I stuck with the same design idea as last week, but I mixed in some different colors and a second font. 

This quote is long. And there are multiple parts that are so great alone. I probably could have split this into six or seven different Motivation Mondays, but you get the treat and power of having this presented all as one. But I'll split my thoughts for ya too.

1. Grand dreams come one day at a time. 
Don't be overwhelmed or discouraged from dreaming grand dreams. They are possible. And they are worth the wait and the work. What you do each and every day will get you there, so remember those goals every day. Go get 'em.

2. Set small step-by-step goals to help you accomplish big projects.
It's ok to break things up into little tasks. Baby steps. It's all about baby steps. There is no need to try to everything all at once. Take something you can do and do that. Now! Then you can focus on something else. You can do it.

3. Limit your list of goals for each day. But write them down.
I love me a good to-do list. But I also love the reminder to not overwhelm myself. Don't take it too easy, sure, but only give myself approachable challenges that I can actually accomplish that day. Award yourself with a sense of accomplishment.

4. Nothing amazing happens in 24 hours. Be patient.
Ah, yes, the patience advice. Keep trekking along. Keep the faith. Focus on the little goals and accomplishments you reach every day, week, and month.

5. Never allow clutter to distract you from your most important goal.
Distractions can be the worst. But having a goal can help you stay on track and better prioritize your time.

6. Do the best you can.
And accept your honest efforts as your best. Remember there are ups and downs, but always strive for your best.

7. Rest satisfied with what you have accomplished. 
Look back at No. 3. Make an honest effort and when you have reached your goals for the day, ACCEPT THAT. Maybe take a break. Oh, and have some fun! :)

Motivation Monday: You Have The Ability to Accomplish So Much By Making Slight Changes

Today's Motivation Monday quote is a long one. I actually stumbled upon it a few weeks ago when I was looking for an organization quote to match my goal for that week. (That post has proved to be a popular one thanks to Pinterest folk pinning my design.) This quote touches on organization, but also expands into time management, priorities, and success.

"Never again clutter your days or nights with so many menial and unimportant things that you have no time to accept a real challenge when it comes along. This applies to play as well as work. A day merely survived is no cause for celebration. You are not here to fritter away your precious hours when you have the ability to accomplish so much by making a slight change in your routine. No more busy work. No more hiding from success. Leave time, leave space, to grow. Now. Now! Not tomorrow."

—Og Mandino.

(The design was inspired this image.)

Before I share my thoughts about this quote, I have to tell you that this Og Mandino guy is quite impressive. I did not know who he was, but after reading several other quotes from him, I knew he was someone I had to learn more about. A post is in the works so stay tuned for that. 

Now my thoughts.

Part of what I loved about this quote is it reminded me of how overwhelmed I have often felt in life by things I simply do. not. care. about. Sure, I pride myself on being a good worker and being a dependable employee. But when my efforts there left me drained and without energy to dedicate to my personal passions and goals, I knew I had to make a change. (It just took me a while to do so—and to be clear, these feelings had nothing to do with the quality of the jobs I've held but with who I am and what I personally want from life.) While I did leave behind several quite attractive benefits (stability and set income to name a few), I also opened the door to opportunity for ME PERSONALLY to accept the challenges I actually want to overcome. Opportunities that allow me to grow and become the person I hope to one day be.

Apply this mentality to both play and work. Fill your life with things that are meaningful and beneficial, no matter what you are doing. My introvert self loves this because I choose my social activities very carefully. I'm not a person who enjoys just hanging out with random people all the time. I want to form meaningful relationships that matter to ME and hopefully matter to the other people. If I'm spending time with you, it means I WANT to spend time with you. (Usually...sometimes I'm a sucker for obligatory activities.)

And finally, remember that you CAN change. You CAN grow. You CAN become a better person (remember to focus on your own definition of what this is). How? By making slight changes.

Don't focus on the big picture. Focus on the small, daily tasks and decisions. Remember that your time matters. Remember that what you do now, today, determines who you are tomorrow and what you will accomplish.

How can I focus on these things this week? 

I'm going to focus on removing the clutter from my life and time. Look at what can suck your time without providing any productivity. (Think apps, television, games, etc.) I like watching a tv show while I make/eat lunch, but I think I can spend that time better. I want to outline how to best spend my time. If I have an hour to finish a project, I'll finish that project in an hour. If I have all day...I'll probably take all day.

Motivation Monday: Start Being Who You Are

How often do you hear or find yourself saying or thinking something that's around the lines of you NOT being something? Hmm, that probably didn't make sense. Maybe you say you aren't smart enough, outgoing enough, spiritual enough, crafty enough....the list could go on and on. Athletic, pretty, creative, funny, techy, bubbly, and more and more.

Forget all that.

For everything you AREN'T, there are a dozen of things you ARE. So stop worrying on defining who you aren't and just start living and being who you are.

I've been thinking about this idea all week and seen multiple other ways of saying the same thing.

One said "It's not who you are that holds you back, it's who you think you're not."Another said "Too many people undervalue what they are and overvalue what they aren't."

Anyways, be true to yourself. Be who you are. Even if you want to become MORE of something, remember that you ARE a responsible, smart person who can learn new things, for example.

Motivation Monday: No Regrets—Explore, Dream, Discover

Happy Monday folks! Wow, it seems like it's been a long time since...last Monday. Not so. It has only been one lovely week or seven lovely days. How did that go for you? My week went pretty great. I'm excited about the progress I made, meager as it was. 

I selected today's motivational quote as a reminder to go after what you want. I'm not really the kind of person who dwells on regrets, but I'm trying to embrace the opportunities I have right now to "sail away from the safe habor" as Mark Twain states. I don't want to be the one who lives my life only doing the expected, responsible things. I'm lucky to be in a position where taking a leap of faith and making things happen are possible and not too incredibly risky for me. But it would be SO incredibly easy NOT to take that leap. Leading up to my decision to stop working fulltime, I had several opportunities present themselves, and it would have been easy to toss out my plans and go with another  option—a responsible, expected one. My thought is that there will always be another opportunity to make that kind of decision. Today, I'm throwing off the bowlines and striving to focus more on the opportunities to explore, dream, and discover. 

If you are interested in downloading a free high res version of this image, please comment and I'll contact you. 

Motivation Monday: Stop Talking, Begin Doing

Just another manic Monday, wish it were Sunday. 

It seems that no one really likes Mondays. Usually Monday means the masses all sludge back to work, stop playing, and head back to their scheduled weekday obligations. 

I no longer fit that mold. Here it is Monday morning. I'm not at the office. I'm not in a classroom. But I am taking the advice from Walt Disney to "begin doing." 

"The way to get started is to quit talking and begin doing." - Walt Disney

I definitely fall into the pattern of talking. talking. talking. I want to have things planned, be in control, and simply know what I'm doing. However, sometimes I talk too much, and I simply need to start DOING and let things work out however they may. 

I'm excited about the opportunity I've created for myself. Really the sky is the limit and I'm able to pursue some things I've been talking about for a long time, some things that I truly am passionate about. 

Here's to many more passionate and motivating Mondays! 

More importantly, here's to doing! 

Question: What's something you've talked about but need to actually do? What's holding you back?