I Can Do Hard Things
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Every Thursday, I share one action, habit, or project you may want to undertake in order to improve your health, happiness, and sense of well-being.
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PROJECT OF THE WEEK
When Something is Hard, Find a Way to Do It Every Day
I find that this is a lesson that I keep learning over and over again as a new parent.
I have mentioned this before, but last year I became a foster mom to TWO fourth grade girls.
One of the girls hates to shower. I used to make exceptions, because after all, they are only fourth graders and what's the big deal if they don't take a shower every once in a while.
Yet, every time I tried to be nice and make an exemption, I would get pushback on showering for the next five nights.
Now, we shower every night and it's pretty much a non-issue.
We also do a lot of activities in our house to help improve communication.
One activity is that the girls write in a feelings journal. As you probably already guessed, this was a non-starter when we tried to use it as a tool when they were having a hard day. Now, the girls write in their feelings journal five out of seven days a week. It's a normal part of their routine and also allows for days where life happens. And, when they are having a hard time, there is time set aside to write about it.
While this is a great parenting lesson, it's just as effective for all of us.
Getting Started
Make a list of the things you find hard. This can be anything from paying bills and budgeting to fitting in a walk, grocery shopping, or hey, even showering!
For me, I can get in a rut about reaching out and scheduling conversations with people to connect. This can be both personal - I’m one of nine kids! - or professionally. Then, I make a point to reach out to one person every day.
I have a habit of pushing off admin and marketing tasks for Happy Spaces. Which is why I do my best to work on an admin or marketing task each day. Even if it's a 10 minutes task.
One of the easiest ways to make sure these tasks are done is to simply schedule it. Adding these reminders to your calendar is the equivalent to making a meeting with yourself. You wouldn’t be late or blow off a meeting with your supervisor, so don’t do it to yourself either.
What part of your work day do you find the most challenging?
How can you work on what's challenging for you for a few minutes every day?
Let us know if you try this strategy and how it works for you.
Happy Planning!
Ready to Get Started?
If you feel excited about implementing this strategy and want some additional accountability and support to get started, the It’s All in the Planning Starter Pak was designed for you!
A Note from Happy Spaces
The goal is to add value to your life. If you think this project will add value:
Estimate how long you think it will take. I would recommend doubling the time you estimate.
Look at your calendar over the next week and pick a date and time to get started.
Make an appointment on your calendar for the estimated time.
If you estimate that completing this project will take longer than one hour, I recommend doing it over multiple days. This will support you in getting started!
Prior to starting this project, take a few minutes to make a step-by-step list of EVERY action you need to take to complete this project.
It's not all or nothing. You can choose to implement only the parts of this project that add value to your life.
An Accountability Partner can be a great support in following through on your goals and commitments.
We understand how challenging it can be to implement new habits and systems. For additional support please go to HappySpacesBySarah.com.
Creating a life you don't need a vacation from! ®
Sincerely,
Sarah Weingarten
Meet Sarah
Growing up as the oldest of nine siblings in Upstate New York, I learned to use organization to create sanity among the chaos. Today, I work together with individuals, families, and small businesses to create habits, systems, and spaces that support their needs, goals, and dreams. Clients often refer to our work together as "life-changing" and "better than decades of therapy". What I love most about my work is the lasting impact it has on real people's lives. Nothing makes me happier than hearing the many success stories of clients I have worked with.