A work in Progress
We can often get frustrated with life, wanting to acheive more, be better at something, feel stronger, have more money or a number of other goals.
It’s great to want more out of life and be wanting to improve ourselves so we can be a version of ourselves we are proud of.
Sometimes what can hamper our progress is perfectionism, having unrealistic standards and forgetting how far we have already come. Its very easy to keep wanting more and forgetting what we already have. The version of you a year ago would probably be thrilled to have achieved what you have done in the last year but instead it is easy to only focus on the present or future. Human beings are hardwired to look for danger as we had to be aware of predators and not eating poisonous foods, which is why we naturally look at the bad not the good.
When you feel downhearted or fall into the comparison trap, make a list of all the things you have done in the last year. Focus on how you have spent your time and recognise your acheivements. If you feel you have not acheived what you have wanted, look at how you are spending your time. For example, if you have 3 hours screen time on your phone but you want to get physically fitter, perhaps you can see if you spent 1 hour on exercise, you could gradually get fitter and also reduce screen time. If you are putting something of for the future, maybe start bringing a small element into your life weekly. You may for example be saving for a holiday abroad and not have enough money to book yet, but if you enjoy reading on the beach, take your book outisde to your outdoor space if you have one or local park if you don’t. This closes the gap between today and someday.
A helpful exercise I did the other day was get 2 A4 pages side by side. On the left piece of paper I wrote down what my life would look like if money was no object and I wrote down all the places I would visit and all my goals.
On the right I wrote down what my life looked like right now and all the resources I already had and looked to see where I could emulate more of the left. I saw all the training courses I had already done and although I am not able to commit to any CPD training until next year, I saw I had all my manuals I could reread to refresh my knowledge. I saw I had books on my shelf I hadnt read yet and I had a Spotify subscription where I could download podcasts to increase my knowledge and understanding.
We are all a work in progress, constantly changing and evolving. We know things now we didn’t know six weeks ago, never mind a few years ago. The only thing consistent is life is change. Watching the seasons and the way nature shifts from month to month reminds us how fleeting everything can be. Be proud of what you have acheived and give yourself grace.
Journaling can help us process our emotions and set goals. Try writing out this affirmation in your journal “I am a work in progress” and see what comes up for you. Empty your emotions out on paper and then take action to work towards where you would like to be.
Being a work in progress is powerful because it gives us freedom and flexibility. It allows us to grow and change and learn new things all the time. When you are work in progress you are constantly adapting, evaluating and using your knowledge to improve. It is a place of creation, an exciting place to be. Its difficult to feel stuck when you come from that place.
Sending you many blessings for the week,
Claire