What a difference a few days can make! The past couple of weeks have been so stressful and frustrating. I’ve been struggling to maintain my emotional equilibrium and keep my head above water. At the beginning of this week, I felt so trapped and helpless. I didn’t like how things were going and I was angry about it. I was spending a lot of time complaining and indulging in self-pity. All I could think about was how miserable I was.

Then, I wrote this post. I don’t know exactly what happened, but writing that post and implementing those strategies snapped me out of my funk. Ever since, I’ve felt strong and positive and in control. The circumstances of my life haven’t changed (except that my husband is home from his business trip)–my job is still stressful, I still struggle with technical issues on my website, I still feel overbooked socially–but my outlook has totally changed. What is this wonderful magic, and how can I make more of it?

Giving up complaining and practicing gratitude have been critical in shifting my mindset. Focusing on the positive things in my life instead of the negatives has just… I don’t know, made me so much more joyful. It’s absolutely amazing how much of an impact this small change has had in only a few days. Recognizing what I can and can’t control has also been instrumental in improving my frame of mind. I had wasted a great deal of time and energy agonizing about things I simply can’t change. No more.

But I think it’s more than that. I think a substantial factor in my successful turnaround has been in achieving goals aligned with my purpose. Yesterday was the final day of my 21-Day Makeover. My goal was to write for at least an hour every day with the intention of creating a strong “writing habit.” I successfully completed that goal, and I’ve got to tell you, it felt great. I felt like I was doing what I was supposed to be doing.

And earlier this week, I created a forum for achieving weekly goals. I set a goal for this week of writing 20 pages of my novel by March 2. I’ve already written 12 pages since Monday–I’m over halfway there. (Interestingly, I also set goals unrelated to my purpose–exercise, for one. I haven’t been nearly as successful there. Coincidence? I think not.)

Achieving goals that are aligned with my purpose has been completely energizing and refreshing. Perhaps the key for me to be successful in other areas is to think about the goal in terms of my purpose. For example, my goal is to exercise for 30 minutes four times a week in order to give me more energy and mental stamina for writing. Hmmm. Something to try with next week’s goals…

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Tags: Goals, Personal Development, Purpose

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