Check Point

 

“The only people who see the whole picture are the ones who step outside the frame.” ~ Salman Rushdie

Last Friday was the first day of April, the first day of the second quarter of 2022, and the 91^st day of the year. It was also a day to stop and check – check how far I’ve come this year, how far I still have to go. I’m I still on course? Take bearings and course correct. Have I completed goals? Stop and celebrate my achievements.

One of my greatest joys of the quarter was fulfilling a goal to say ‘thank you’ to a dear friend in a special way for something I’d taken for granted for over 10 years. It was a moment of heart-swelling joy to watch them realize they were appreciated, even as I was absolved in a small way for having taken their gift for granted for so long.

Of course my check point did not pass without shedding an unwelcome floodlight on some goals that are lagging behind – but that is the point of a check-point. A reminder, a reason to re-think and question, a renewed commitment to achieve. And gratitude that this is only the first quarter – there are 3 more to catch up.

A review of the quarter reminded me of things to be grateful for and they were many! In the moment, depression and anger about a circumstance can overwhelm you and cause you to think nothing ever goes right! A quick review of my journal entries reminded me that there had been lots of things to be grateful for even though I’d forgotten them already.

It was also a time to give myself a pep talk because who better to carpet me than the one who lives with me 24-7-365? Some of the goals I set are necessary to-dos but not necessarily fun things to do. So, in my fallen humanity, I have been postponing the necessary actions to move the needle forward. At some point, I even went and found a quote which I printed and stuck strategically opposite my desk, and it reads:

“I will feel good once the work is done. I have the ability to finish things even when I don’t feel like it.”

Hence, in the spirit of true adult-ing, I took out a notebook, listed all the pending projects and with calendar in hand, set new completion dates. [so far, nothing new] I then took each project and critically looked at what its completion entailed and broke it down to daily performance chunks. For the next 2 weeks, I have a daily to-do list that includes all those tasks, time allocated for each and yes – it has been a painful 6 days since, and there are 7 more to go. But in that time, 2 books have been completed and stored, a sewing project has been completed and stored and a rug that had been in the making for a few months now is on a completion stretch.

Why do I accept to give myself pain which I would not take from another?

• Because I committed to getting those things done and if I am to be a person of my word, then do them I must.

• Because it is in getting done those things I set out to do that I can continue to live in integrity with myself.

• Because I will feel good once those things are done.

• Because I finish what I start no matter how long it takes.

• Because I want to have something to celebrate at the end of the year.

Did you stop at the quarter mark check point or did you zoom past and keep going? Are you still on course or did you lose direction a long time ago? I saw a quote that I want to share as my parting shot: “Six months from now you will either have six months of excuses or six months of progress. The choice is yours!”