Learning to Love the Process

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Last year I picked the word “Practice” for my word for 2014. Too often I can become discouraged with each mistake or failed attempt, or “no attempt” at my goals. I’ve often lived with a flawed expectation that to be good at something it requires perfect attendance. So when I miss a day, or a week, or life get’s crazy, I throw my hands in the air and opt to try again at another time when I can go full strength with no failures before reaching my goal.

Mastery of anything, however, requires loving the practice of something more than the destination.

That is a huge mindset change for me, and indicates that “keeping your eye on the prize” is not always the best motivation. Learning to love the practice will be the saving grace that keeps you going after a period of neglect, loving the practice is what sustains you during those times of valleys and plateaus, loving the practice leads to more enjoyment in the present, because truth be told, those “arrivals” are rare, and too often, in the state of progression we too easily shift that arrival to be further out anyway, constantly raising the bar.

Learn to love the practice.

For the first time ever, I’m learning to love the practice of setting goals. Thanks to Lara Casey’s constant reminder that “There is nothing special about January 1st”, I have followed her lead in taking the entire month of January to set goals with purpose, and I’m learning that that too, is a practice.

My word for this year is “Vision”.
I’m trying to implement planning into my routine for the first time ever. Planning my day. Planning my home life. Meal planning. As much as I have passionately resisted planning my whole life, I’m finding that even if I don’t get everything crossed off my list (which happens every day) that it’s the practice of planning that is most important. I’m learning to love the practice and accepting that it’s not just the crossed off list that I’m working at.

Learn to love the practice.

What are you practicing at right now?

bwselfie Brooke Snow is a photographic artist and delights in the pursuit of a meaningful life. Sign up for her FREE e course “Living A Thriving Life” to learn more about how to find true balance in your life. Brooke lives in Northern Utah with her calm husband, adventurous 4 year old son and practically perfect new baby girl.

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