My blog has covered a lot of topics lately. I’m organizing the house, learning about preserving my own food, searching for carcinogens in our personal care products, sharing more about veganism – sometimes it feels like I’m going in so many directions.
I’ll sit down at night not sure whether to pick up Run Less, Run Faster and map out my intervals for tomorrow (and should I do that mile speed test to gauge progress?) or if I should work out a meal plan for the upcoming week, choose my next preserving recipe to try, or relax and watch a TED talk on happiness, minimalism, or psychology. Probably I should be doing my Rosetta Stone French since consistency is key to progress. Actually, I might have time to tackle an organizing project tomorrow if I read through a chapter of One Year To An Organized Life.
(How people have time for regularly scheduled television I am not sure.)
Pulled in different directions by so many different interests, I started to wonder where this all started. For a while, it seemed like I’d settled into a routine, and wasn’t actively involved in so many things I wanted to do, learn, research, change.
Then it hit me, and I remembered the spark that started the fire.
I had finally started reading The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People by Stephen Covey. (I love it, by the way.)
The first habit is “Be Proactive”. Covey explains that effective people choose how they respond to things, and don’t let outside circumstances dictate their happiness or behavior. When something bothers them, they figure out what they can do to change it, or how to accept it and move on if they can not. I highly recommend reading the book – it has good, common sense advice put simply and concisely. I had so many “a-ha” moments reading the book, and there are a lot of times in my day when I think to myself “be proactive, not reactive” and I get up and do something about whatever is bothering me. Sometimes this is as simple as fixing the temperature so I can sleep better, or getting a snack right away rather than sitting around thinking about how hungry I am. Sometimes it’s bigger.
This “be proactive” mantra has started to infiltrate other areas of my life.
Greg and I are going to Paris in October, and I wish I knew more French. I picked up Rosetta Stone again.
The clutter and frustration of looking for things is stressing me out, I got a book about organizing and started to tackle areas of my house.
And so on.
I may need to slow down and focus on one area occasionally, but at the same time, it’s nice to have so many things I’m interested in doing that are all having a positive impact on our family life or my own personal happiness.
I feel a sense of satisfaction when I reach into our newly organized pantry to find something. And I feel less bogged down by other things that stress me out, too… because I put them on my list of things I’m going to work on. Just having a plan sometimes can push them out of my mind to be dealt with later, so I can focus on whatever project or moment I’m enjoying NOW.
If there’s anything runners understand, it’s that you CAN make progress and make change with slow but continuous work. Whatever is bothering you in your life, you do have control over your own response, and you can work to change it or accept it. Don’t take my word on it – pick up 7 Habits for yourself and start improving your life!