Motivational Monday: Start Somewhere

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Motivational Monday: The Creative Life

My goal with Motivational Monday posts is to encourage myself as much as others, especially since I thought it might be helpful to start a long work week with what little bit of enthusiasm we can muster to keep us going.

Today's little piece of inspiration spoke to me because I have creative goals and aspirations in my life - namely creative writing and collage art (and I hope to try my hand at book binding soon). I've found that when I set out to complete a project, I have a specific stumbling block, and I often wonder if anyone else has the same problem - analysis paralysis. Like most women (so research says), I am an overthinker. 

"...Overthinking has actually been shown to impair problem solving and rational thought, and interfere with initiative and motivation." (via Refocuser.com)

However, I only overthink certain things. Oddly, in some areas of my life, I am very spur of the moment, but when it comes to creative pursuits, analysis paralysis somehow takes over. And, as we know, overthinking is rooted in fear - fear of making the wrong decision. Compounding this fear is the bad habit of comparison.

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Motivational Monday: Deferred Dreams

What happens to a dream deferred?

(Langston Hughes)

Does it dry up 

like a raisin in the sun? 

Or fester like a sore-- 

And then run? 

Does it stink like rotten meat? 

Or crust and sugar over-- 

like a syrupy sweet?

Maybe it just sags 

like a heavy load.

Or does it explode?

Over time, I've noticed that there is considerable societal and personal pressure to accomplish goals by a certain age - and that age limit becomes younger over time. I became aware of the pressure to succeed at a particularly young age as my father was the youngest school principal in the city at that time. Lists like "The Most Influential ____ under 35/40" and "CEOs under 30/40" are further proof of this unrelenting pressure to "succeed" (whatever that means). And those are just the professional pressures. On top of that, there are the expectations surrounding when one should marry, when to have children, etc. It can all make one feel old before their time. And when we feel "too old" to do something, the negative self-talk begins, with self-fulfilling prophecies not too far behind.

I'm too old to do that now

Maybe I sh/could have in my twenties

"Youth is wasted on the young."

And then there are the negative comments from others.

You're not getting any younger

You are too old to {fill in the blank}

These are all comments I've heard from people under 40 (myself included)! There are far too many people feeling like failures who may very well have 40+ years of life ahead of them to accomplish their personal goals, and I find that mentality depressing. So, what do you do when you haven't accomplished that goal you wanted to reach by the age of 30?

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