My word, my mantra, my theme for September 2020 is finish.
Finish what you started.
The other day, my iphone was backed up like crazy. I couldn’t record any videos, could not open another app, and my phone kept freezing up on me. I knew I had way too many pictures on my phone and kept putting off deleting files until later. Then, when I finally began deleting photos, my iphone had what you could call a brain fart and wouldn’t delete anything.
To make matters worse, at the same time I had a monologue competition to submit to, a vocal project to submit for, and got lost on the road and couldn’t use google maps to help me find my way. Unless I deleted these old files and finally checked it off of my mental to do list, I would not be able to use my phone for some of its most basic features. Eventually after two phone calls with Apple, a back and forth conversation with a Google Photos tech, I was finally able to make some space and use my phone normally again.
Currently, my brain feels like my phone. Overloaded, overheated and stressed, because there are so many things I set out to do but haven’t finished yet, or I have put off until later. I keep trying to move onto the next project I have planned or focus more on my craft but feel overwhelmed before I even begin because I haven’t finished my previous task. Similar to my phone being backed up, the more and more I try to begin the next project, my brain freezes up on me and I become overwhelmed. I can’t begin something new because I am still reminded that I haven’t finished this project from three months ago.
I’ve come to realize that I am a “busy person” but not always a “productive person, a bad trait of mine that I am trying to break. Often times I get caught up in making lists, more than completing them, so this month my goal is to finish. Just finish. I looked through my planner, and since Co-vid began, I’m proud that I’ve made some pretty big dents in my to do lists, more than I would have probably a year ago, but we’re not all the way there yet.
One way I’m working on eradicating my “busy” behavior is by reading the book, Atomic Habits by James Clear. I’m only on part two, where he discusses the law of attraction, but I’m hooked. One thing in particular he mentions, is that we don’t lack motivation. We lack clarity. He encourages us to set intention by not only deciding when to complete a task, but also where. In addition, he informs us that you won’t be so easily derailed by miniscule distractions if you’ve set clear, pinpoint, specific directions on where, when, and how to get things done.
Another way I am transitioning from being busy to productive is using a habit tracker. I purchased one off of etsy. I recall, back when I went through RA training, someone mentioned getting a habit tracker to see your progress in making something a behavior. By tracking it everyday, you can look back and see where when and how you feel short.
With only a couple months left of 2020, it is easy to fall into an excuse of not accomplishing our goals because Co-vid left us with so much out of our control.
However, not all of 2020 is out of our hands.
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