How to feel a success
It's been a rainy old weekend this weekend! Despite that, there have been some great triumphs - not least those of Venus Williams and Rafael Nadal at Wimbledon (wasn't that a great tennis match?)
I, too, had my own, perhaps smaller yet no less significant, triumph this weekend - I got to the end of my 'to do' list! OK, so my 'to do' list only had 4 items on it, but nevertheless they were all completed and I ended up feeling great.
Isn't it a wonderful feeling when we achieve everything we set out to do? Trouble is, too often we set ourselves too huge a task, and end up, yet again, feeling defeated.
How easy is it to plan to achieve lots of things and end up only completing half of them? This is particularly common if we tend to have too high expectations of ourselves (and others) or if we have children. (It took me years to realise that, with children, everything takes about 3 times as long!) It can also be a challenge to recognise that we need to plan in time for playing / talking / being with our children, as well as the inevitable fetching and carrying and dealing with their many interruptions and needs.
So, what was different this weekend? Well, I'd mentally ear-marked time for being with the children, so we could do a few activities together and play a game or two. I'd also adjusted my list so that it reflected what I felt I could achieve in less than a day, as that would then leave time for all the other things that pop up unexpectedly. Of course, I have another 'wish list' of things I'd like to do, or even have to do but aren't quite as urgent. These are for dealing with another day.
Then I calmly worked my way through my 4 'to do' items, involving the children too wherever appropriate (it's amazing how much enjoyment children can get out of sweeping up and even though we inevitably have to help out a bit, it can really save time as the kids get more adept).
If you often find yourself never getting to the end of that 'to do' list, why not have a go at setting yourself up for success too? ....be realistic about what can be achieved in the time (save the rest for another day); recognise the time that children take and adjust appropriately; get others to help if you can (make it a fun activity for the children - just leave extra time for it!)
It really is a great feeling when you achieve what you set out to do. I hope you enjoy that feeling too!
I, too, had my own, perhaps smaller yet no less significant, triumph this weekend - I got to the end of my 'to do' list! OK, so my 'to do' list only had 4 items on it, but nevertheless they were all completed and I ended up feeling great.
Isn't it a wonderful feeling when we achieve everything we set out to do? Trouble is, too often we set ourselves too huge a task, and end up, yet again, feeling defeated.
How easy is it to plan to achieve lots of things and end up only completing half of them? This is particularly common if we tend to have too high expectations of ourselves (and others) or if we have children. (It took me years to realise that, with children, everything takes about 3 times as long!) It can also be a challenge to recognise that we need to plan in time for playing / talking / being with our children, as well as the inevitable fetching and carrying and dealing with their many interruptions and needs.
So, what was different this weekend? Well, I'd mentally ear-marked time for being with the children, so we could do a few activities together and play a game or two. I'd also adjusted my list so that it reflected what I felt I could achieve in less than a day, as that would then leave time for all the other things that pop up unexpectedly. Of course, I have another 'wish list' of things I'd like to do, or even have to do but aren't quite as urgent. These are for dealing with another day.
Then I calmly worked my way through my 4 'to do' items, involving the children too wherever appropriate (it's amazing how much enjoyment children can get out of sweeping up and even though we inevitably have to help out a bit, it can really save time as the kids get more adept).
If you often find yourself never getting to the end of that 'to do' list, why not have a go at setting yourself up for success too? ....be realistic about what can be achieved in the time (save the rest for another day); recognise the time that children take and adjust appropriately; get others to help if you can (make it a fun activity for the children - just leave extra time for it!)
It really is a great feeling when you achieve what you set out to do. I hope you enjoy that feeling too!
posted by Elizabeth Juffs at 10:33 AM
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