Setting Goals

Welcome to May.

A new month is always a good time to stop and take stock, reflect, assess accomplishments and what still needs to be done, to recalibrate goals and set new ones. Setting goals for me begins with setting intentions, and I've learned through several years of One Little Word that intention is the fuel for realizing goals.

I tend toward perfectionism in the sense that if I make a goal for myself, and I don't realize that goal 100% perfectly, I beat myself up pretty good about it. At least, that's how I used to be, and though I still have to fight that tendency, I'm much better at recognizing that getting something done, even when it's not 100%, or perfect, is better by far than getting nothing done.

In April, I issued myself two challenges, which to me are just intentions on a dare. One, I intended to write every single day, even if it was just two or three sentences in my journal, and two, I intended to create thirty scrapbook layouts in the thirty days of April.

How did I do?

With writing, I was on a daily streak until near the end of the month. I missed one day, then I missed another. I struggled with recrimination, until I reined it in. Writing twenty eight pieces, even just scribbled in my journal, is writing, and that's a win.

With scrapbooking, my goal was not only realized, it was exceeded by one layout, and that felt awesome, especially since it's been a long time since I've been able to dedicate that much time, energy and space in my life to creativity.

Looking back at April and its goals and its challenges, I realize something I knew about myself with scrapbooking, but not with writing: the daily thing is still a bit of a challenge. Perhaps, I can overcome that challenge, perhaps not. But I know that doing anything daily still doesn't work as well for me, and I can either accept that reality, or I can work toward making daily writing (or daily anything else) easier and more readily doable than it is for me right now. With kindness and compassion for myself and the reality I've got.

That will be my intention for May, as I participate in the Blog Every Day in May challenge over at Love Happy Daily. Check out details here if you want to join in the fun.

I've already added the Blogger app to my iPhone, so I can blog on the go and make it easier to get that daily thing done.