In September, I first wrote about my plan to write a goals/to-do list of sorts for each month of twenty-three. It’s hard to believe that two months have already passed by: I’ve already written lists for October and November, and a new one is soon due for December.
So I thought it was time for an update and my thoughts on this little project so far.
In the spirit of keeping things real and honest on this blog, I will admit that the 23 in Lists project hasn’t been as “successful” as I would’ve liked for it to be. It hasn’t been successful according to my terms and expectations as I make and try to execute the list. But I’m learning not to stress out over the fact that things don’t go according to the way I plan.
Here’s what I love and what I’ve learned about 23 in Lists so far.
WHAT I LOVE
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Accomplishing things.
I didn’t get to cross off everything on the list in September or October. But for those that I did, it definitely was satisfying being able to check it off my list.
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Making progress.
Even for things I didn’t accomplish, I was able to at least make progress. What I love about this so far is that the monthly list is really pushing me to start doing things instead of just letting them be another thing on the list. My list may not be done, but I’m making progress and that’s what really matters.
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No stress.
All the stress I feel is mostly self-imposed, so really, there is absolutely no reason to be stressed out. If I do things right, the monthly list actually takes the stress off for me to check things off and I can actually just let some things roll forward to the next month.
WHAT I’VE LEARNED
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Let go of expectations.
Expectations have a way of getting you down and making you more discouraged than you should be. Instead of focusing on the things I haven’t done, I’m focusing on the progress I’m making on my list.
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Be flexible.
I’m learning to adapt and not be afraid to adjust my lists as my schedule calls for it. When unexpected situations come up, adapting and making adjustments helps me to not get overly stressed out. Note to self: Don’t be afraid to adjust, adapt and move your goals.
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Be realistic.
As an over-achiever, I’m learning to be realistic by limiting the number of goals I include each month. This way, I have a realistic expectation of what I am able to accomplish and keep myself from feeling discouraged by an overly-long list.
There’s still nine more months of lists and I can’t wait to see what else I will accomplish during this time. Let’s keep going.