Little by Little
Getting started at anything important to you is an awesome achievement. Often, I’ve heard people who have accomplished great things mention that getting started is really what counts. BUT continuing is most critical. How many times have you started something with great enthusiasm to then hit a wall or suffer a big stumbling block and think of quitting or actually do quit altogether? I sure have!
Sometimes it truly is in your best interest to quit something, like a bad habit or toxic relationship. But when it’s a passion and something that brings you joy, or just something you deem important, it’s worth it to keep going even when times are tough.
The thing to remember is that, if it truly is something super important to you, as long as you give it your best and just keep at it… it will pay off! Things may not happen in the time frame that you want it to or turn out quite how you thought they should, but it’s ok! Don’t lose sight of your bigger goals and take note of your small wins.
Here are a few things I’ve learned that might help you out if/when working towards your goals gets tough:
Every morning, write down a few things (2-3) that you are grateful for. They don’t have to pertain to what you are working on at all, but they can, and it’s just a great way to start your day in uplifted spirits. It can be as simple as the comfort of your soft pillow or something more important, like appreciation for your thoughtful partner. You can also do this one right before bed to get your mind in a peaceful place for sleep. This practice will help keep you grounded when your striving towards big (or small) goals!
Do at least 1 thing (big or small) towards your goal every single day. Unless it is something that you are able to devote full-time attention to, set a reasonable amount of time aside just for it. For example, if your goal is illustrating a book, and you are not a full-time artist, you can give yourself a set time, like 20 minutes a day, to do it piece by piece. Maybe one day you can work on sketching the overall image and the next day you can focus in on a adding details to a specific area etc. Or if your goal is to write a thesis, and you might be doing that full-time, but even if you aren’t, you can devote a little bit of time each day and make the big end goal into many small goals. For example, decide that you WILL write a paragraph a day or maybe at least a few sentences. Before you know it, you will have something actually accumulating and it will be soooo satisfying to see real progress happening.
Keep a running list of the things you achieve each day to remind yourself that you ARE making progress, even if it is slow. Sometimes it is hard to remember that you’ve accomplished a lot if the end goal you are seeking is taking longer than you expected. For example, if your goal is to eat less sugar, and you choose to eat an apple instead of a doughnut, write that down! You can’t tell me that’s not an achievement! Your list will even impress you one day and you’ll be glad you wrote them down to reflect on in an instance of feeling down or stalled.
Bonus - Forgive yourself. Nobody is perfect and you will struggle sometimes, but remain a friend and advocate for yourself.
I write all this on my art blog because I am getting started towards a serious art career (I hope!) and want to remind myself that continuing is what I want to do! So let’s keep at it, whatever it is for you. Little by little, we can do it!