Never stop learning. I mean it. Never stop. It is the most critical factor I can think of that is required to live a meaningful life. I don’t know about you, but I believe living a meaningful life is way cooler than living a mediocre one. I have tried (somewhat unsuccessfully) to build a few new habits this year. I wanted to blog for 5 minutes every day in order to post on My Little Blue Kayak 5x per month. Instead, I have been in a major slump all summer and am now kicking myself in the pants! I wanted to earn at least 1 CEU (continuing education credit) per month in order to earn 15 for the year. I believe I have earned 6 so far.
It is easy to write goals and even easier to promptly forget to address them. Writing this blog is one way I push myself to do better, to be better. Let’s face it, having to share one’s failures has a way of motivating one to do better. I know why I didn’t blog for 5 minutes every day, I know why I didn’t earn 1 CEU per month. I don’t need to make excuses, I need to do better. If you want to read about my goals, check out these posts. 5 Minutes is Easy, 2018 Goal Review, A Year in Review. As you can see, writing goals is important to me and finding ways to push myself to do and be better is critical if I want my life to mean something.
Despite a few failures, I have managed to develop a few new habits that I am pretty happy about it. I have had a daily habit of taking quite time daily for the last 8 years which is a great way to start every morning. I was happy with the habit but not happy with the amount of time I was devoting to it. It had been a pretty consistent 10 minutes every day but this number began to shrink and next thing I knew, I was only taking about 7 minutes of quiet time daily. I am happy to report that I have built this back up and now spend 12 minutes every morning in quiet relaxation. I have also been addressing my goal to read 20 books this year by reading a least 5 minutes every day. I have documented 18 books that I read so far, and am willing to bet I forgot to write some down. Reading is a shoe in when it comes to learning new things.
I have also been keeping a Gratitude Journal all year and am slowly filling up a book that I enjoy reviewing. Before going to bed, I jot down three things I am grateful for and find that this habit puts me in good head space to go to sleep. I have never been unable to identify three things and think that is pretty cool. I find that keeping this journal is a good way to get out of negative mind sets that tend to suck my energy. I tend to be a pretty active person and can use all of the energy I can get!
Each of us is a work in progress and the person we are today is not the same as the person we were 10 years ago. The person we are today is not the same as the person we will be 2034. Some people get stuck and can’t find a way out of the rut they have created for themselves. I have been stuck in ruts and trust me, they are no fun. One way to get out of ruts is to read books, listen to podcasts, read blogs, hang out with new people, hit the library, listen to a TED Talk, or take a class. Learning new ways, new ideas, new connections is how we get unstuck!
We grow and change and mature by engaging in these types of activities. Just keep an open mind and commit to learning new things. Get and stay curious about how things work, what makes people tick, why things are as they are. I have changed a lot over the last 10 years and overall think I am a much better, kinder, happier person because of these changes. If I had stayed in any one of the ruts I found myself in in the past. Well, I guarantee, I would be unhappy, in debt and not engaging in activities I enjoy with people I love. I would certainly not be writing a blog about my pursuit of health, wealth and happiness!
My 5 minutes of writing today turned into 45 minutes and a rough draft of this post. That is exactly the habit I want to create! Just because I have not been overly effective this year, does not mean I am giving up. This post will be a kick in the pants to get me back on track. Stay tuned for more posts and Read on!!!
Lake Girl
Image by Esi Grünhagen from Pixabay