The mission
Today I was on a mission to find these particular curtains that were in stores only. I had been shown them from my boyfriends mother and I found 2 of them and they fit my new space so perfectly. But the surrounding stores near me didn’t have any so what did that mean? Did I give up just because it was no longer a quick thing or easy? HELL NO! I got fired up and started to call all the stores that were in the surrounding area when I finally got a store with 8 in stock!! Bingo! 1 more than I needed but bought all 8 because you never know right. So driving an hour out of my way just to go get these curtains one way because they matched the space perfectly was a simple mission that helped me feel like I had accomplished something for the day.
I love being able to hunt things down. I definitely was a hunter in a past life of hunter gatherers. When I have a task that requires me to travel off to it I put on an audio book or podcast and set off on the task. When this happens I don’t get discouraged or let myself give up, instead I tackle it head on which is the kind of mentality you need when tackling your dreams. I once drove all the way to Canada for a wallet that was in the shape of a spell book because it was the only store that had it. That’s right 6 hours for a wallet. When I want something that bad I don’t let time or distance sway me or make me quit. I simply switch gears from easy mode to Obstacle in my way mode.
That’s not to say there aren’t times I get overwhelmed when there are a multitude of tasks to accomplish because I do. But in those times I make lists in my head of what I can actually work on and when I can work on it. Sometimes I write down lists but normally I make the list in my head and then repeat it out loud often. Okay I did this, now I can go do this then this then this then that. It’s like a mental checklist for me to do in order to keep things from becoming so overwhelming. The only times it does is when I am not able to actually do anything and I have to wait. Those moments of waiting leave me feeling stressed because I am very much a do-er.
When you want something that bad you have to be willing to put the effort in in order to achieve it. If you need to travel 2 hours to get certain pattern designs for a project you have then find something to help inspire you, like mood elevating music or podcasts or audiobooks or simply have a conversation with yourself. Sometimes sorting things out loud to yourself is a super useful way of sifting the noise. I do this often and every time I have a dilemma. So then once you have the task to drive 2 hours for this thing then enjoy the ride there. Grab a coffee or tea or your favorite beverage and just enjoy the drive down. If you make it into a huge problem then you will only drive yourself crazy. Don’t focus on all the other things that need to get done focus on the problem at hand.
You need A to complete task B, without having A then you can not complete the task so therefore step C is out of reach until you first complete task A. I know that seems simplified but that’s really all life is. A series of events and tasks you complete to help you take steps closer to your goals. We just tend to over burden the task with all the other things that must be done instead of enjoying the process.
What is one thing that you can do today to help take one small step closer to that “become.” Phase of a goal? For me it was going out of my way to get curtains that brought the atmosphere of my new space together. It’s something small yet feels so huge. It makes the space feel like it’s coming together so nicely, and that is an amazing feeling. Your task could literally be researching different schools to attend for the type of career you want. Maybe you spend a few hours looking at the classes, the teachers/professors, the reviews of the school, the cost and if the schedule could accommodate your work hours. It may not seem like much but it will bring you so many rewards in the future.
In the future if you have a task that seems daunting or just out of reach change your mindset and tackle it head on. Charge it like a freaking rhino charging a car. When you go into it like I got this, I can do it, I’m going to get this done then you will succeed. Even if it takes longer then you thought that’s okay, just keep charging at it. But if you get discouraged and allow that discouragement to be your battlecry like wow this will take me over an hour to do then you will never even begin or feel the need to do it. Your why should be reason enough as to why you do even the mundane tasks because those little ones will open doors for bigger accomplishments.
So what is my drive? How do I just do it? It’s really simple, let’s talk about the curtains again. I saw one thing I could get for my new space that would allow me to feel more secure in my May 1st deadline (more realistic last week of April) and I put a sense of urgency on it. The closer stores were all out so I freaked myself out. Well if I don’t go right now they will be all gone and these are exactly what I want for the space. I put a sense of panic so that it sends my sympathetic mode into fight mode. That triggers me to act, okay so I need to make this a priority that means either go now or potentially miss out on getting them. I get stuff done because I freak myself out that if I don’t act now I will miss the opportunity before me. Now this may not be the right response for you, it may cause you stress that you don’t like. For me I love this kind of stress, I thrive in it because I don’t think, I just do. (As I said deff a hunter)
So what you need to do is find a way to shift your mentality that presses a sense of urgency to get things done instead of procrastinating or postponing it. When you are able to do that you make it a priority and then your intention is to complete the task. Find ways that work for you because we are all different. What works for me may not work for you and that’s okay. Just take time to figure out how to light that fire under your ass and get after your dreams! There is no wrong answer here. The goal is to charge at your goals! So get it my friends!
Today was a 9!