Monday MusingsA page for short snippets to help with facing the current week. Inspired by #MondayMotivation, with my own spin on it.
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Taking a Break
Hi again. I'm back. With some changes, which I'll be posting in a separate post later in the week. Now, with my last Monday Musing, I'd only intended to take a couple of weeks off, to focus on some uni work at the time. I never expected that would stretch into two months later. But it wasn't all a bad thing. The chance to take a break, not just from the blog, but to focus on life and everything within a pandemic. I'm roughly five weeks away from finishing my MA, and being done with uni life for the second time (aside from graduation). Taking a break to rest has been so important. Sometimes, it looks like not forcing myself to work if the writing or editing really isn't happening. It's allowing myself the time to read, or play Mario Kart (which as a family we have been doing a LOT!) :) I've spent the last couple of months slowly getting back into doing exercise again, which has been great. Basically, I've been letting myself rest and breathe in all of the stress around me. And doing my best to ignore when I feel guilty for doing so. You can allow yourself to do the same, however and whatever that might look like for you. To take care of yourself. And all of that is ok. <3
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Work to be the best version of you.
This came to mind as I was thinking what to write about today. I'm talking to myself here as much as anyone reading this. This we need to work on might be habits we need to improve, or other parts of ourselves. I'm a perfectionist, which is fine- to a point. I have a habit of not letting myself slow down enough and rest sometimes. This week has already been proof of that. I'm trying to not feel guilty when my 'to-do list' feels a mile long. Within reason, sometimes it's ok to throw the list out of the metaphorical window (Or literal. Who knows??!!) or to put it off for another day. Allow yourself to rest. And to work to be the best you that's possible. The real you that other people might know and see. Being open and honest is hard, but worth it when you're with the right people who still love you when you're at your worst. There's always a better us. It's all making progress. That's ok. Process and Progress
I know this is late. I honestly just forgot. Sorry. Anyway, here we go. Whatever you're doing, the road to getting there- the process- might take longer right now. That is ok. It might take the same amount of time, or even less. That is also ok. Progress might look different at this time, but it's not a race. It never was, anyway, so why should it become one now? Don't worry if you're not where you wanted to be on a project. You will get there. In the time you will, if you need to take a break for a while. You can still get back up and carry on when you can and do so. Whatever it is, you can do it. Small Victories
Right now, I'm focussing a lot on my deadlines for uni assignments. Sometimes, it seems it's all I'm doing. But it's not all about the finished goal when I can't do it all in one go- it's making progress on the journey too. Like today. I've learnt the importance of each step. Celebrating that. In a book I once read, there was emphasis put on someone making a basket. Again, the goal wasn't the finished thing, but each reed he used in order to put the pieces together. It reminds me of a jigsaw. I mentioned the other week about progress, and I guess today's Monday Musing is an extension of that. Taking time to recognise each step you complete on a project- whatever it is, however big or small- is important. Good for us. Celebrate each small victory you win and allow yourself to feel great about it. All of it is progress. In whatever we're doing, we'll still get to the finish line. And past it. Then the hard work, dedication, and patience will be so worth it. Keep going. You can do this. Take a Break
There's been a lot of pressure I've seen around on creatives during the lockdown. And also on people who now have time to start being creative. To finally write that novel. To compose the next great piece of music. Ect, ect...whatever. If people are struggling to do anything creative, there seems to be further pressure and feelings of guilt to accompany that. None of this is not healthy. Here's my suggestion: Take a break. Allow yourself to pause and take time to rest. For all of us, the way we used to do things has gone and it will look different when there isn't lockdown anymore. Let yourself breathe now and take a break. So many people talk about self-care, well use this time to show compassion to yourself. Show yourself grace. Don't give in and listen to the pressure of others or the pressure you put on yourself, even. You can still make progress. Just let it be in the time you can make, after carving out space for yourself to be and breathe. In the interests of honesty and transparency, I have to say I don't have a planned post for this today. I've been so busy with uni starting back this last week that it's left me not much time for other things, even with the lockdown. But I *do* believe in continuity, so here I am.
One thing some friends of mine have been doing since the lockdown began is writing daily journal entries about what they're doing/their feelings, ect. I've only recently started this (I keep a general journal anyway), but it's been good for me to get things out, even if no one is ever going to see. It doesn't have to be a lot but it's been useful. So perhaps that's my "wisdom" for you all today. All the best. *sending hugs like this cat* A lot of this past weekend has been up and down for me. I found a short spoken word piece the other day that I wrote a couple of months ago from an exercise in the group I'm part of. It seemed somewhat relevant to everything right now, so I'm posting this piece instead of a usual Monday Musing here. This is called Lamp Light. When it's dark all around me
and I can't see where I'm going, I look for the little patches of light that tell me I'm still on the right path; however weak, they're still there. I'll make it through the dark, the seemingly endless night- because it will end. The next lamp looks brighter and I see the morning on the horizon... because the sun has risen. Balance
Sometimes, this one is easier said than done- I know. But... If you're working on more than one project at a time, split your time between them to get the best results. You don't have to rush through what you're working on. Or try to do everything all at once. You've got this. Dreams
Hold on to your dreams, but don't be afraid to let go if you have to. For the ones that are tangible, keep working on them. Maybe make them a reality. But above all- Keep dreaming. Grace
Your mistakes this past week don't define you. You can start again. Grace is available- Seek it, take hold of it and start afresh. |
AuthorHi there. I'm English and in my 20's. Christian. INFP. Hufflepuff. Usually you can find me writing or with a book in my hand. ArchivesCategories |