focus on successes rather than failures

...because I feel that my other goals already provide me a place to do this. Focus on success, I mean. And…truthfully, I don’t have the time or energy to be so introspective as to measure how much I am focusing on either success or failure at any given time.

So there!

Successes as of late:
*After four years I am THROUGH with everything to do with orthodontists! No more Braces! No more 24/7 retainer wearing! No more visits to the orthodontists!!!!!!!
*Although my body is nowhere near perfect, I am aware of what I do and eat. And I am quite healthy in comparison to others
*I have come a long way in the past few years from where I originally was

Here’s what I did well this week:

- I did put forth a bit more effort on schoolwork.

- volunteered to take up the slack at the end of a large group project when the energy of other group members was waning. I’m finding that’s a talent I have: I’m not always quick to take things on when things are going well, but I’m really good at providing extra oomph and encouragement when others are tired and/or there is a crisis of some kind.

- Finished that darned systems analysis project! Hooray!

- Continued to exercise, and made sure to get quality sleep for the most part.

- Consciously improved my attitude. Due to stress (and the weather, I think), I had a few short bouts of temporary depression. It would have been very easy to just wallow in those, but in almost all of those cases I was able to consciously make the effort to pull myself out of them and focus on the positive.

- Interacted much more pleasantly with my roommate this week, even though I was stressed and busy.

- Actually finished some project stuff at work, despite relatively busy days in terms of customer service. I’m mostly on schedule as far as my new marketing duties are concerned.

And a way to keep myself accountable. So I think I will start doing a weekly check-in on this goal to a) note my success in the past week and b) identify some things I want to focus on in the following week.

This week’s successes:

1. Lots of exercise, no question about that. It’s been a long time since I’ve committed to something new and done it 100%. So far I haven’t missed a day of my 2 Week Gym Challenge, and I feel great about it.

2. Took good care of myself in other ways. Except for a few slip-ups, I ate really well and got enough sleep. My feeling of well-being and energy level reflects this.

3. Got the cat’s vet appointment scheduled (a LONG time in coming).

4. Took some plunges and improved my attitude at work.

5. Got up when my alarm went off 6 days out of 7.

Stuff I want to strive for in the coming week:

- putting more effort into schoolwork. It’s basically unavoidable. I’ve been coasting for awhile and I really want to do better than this.

- follow up my ideas at work by putting the appropriate first steps into action

- eat well and get enough sleep every night

- continue my fabulous exercise momentum

- be more pleasant to my roommate. While I wasn’t outright bitchy, I was a little prone to bicker and complain this week. I would rather not do that.

- purchase plan tickets and finalize my Christmas plans

Though less established than “all or nothing”, I think. Sometime in the recent past, I slipped from self-improvement oriented to just self-critical. Not that self-criticism is bad (it can be useful), but I’m not using it to good ends. In fact, like as not I am using it to feed the paralyzing all-or-nothing machine.

I mean – this school year, for instance. I got all A’s. Except for one course, in which I received an A- grade. Guess which grade I focus on the most?

Yep, it’s the A- (and not the 7 other A’s). I mean, with good reason – it COULD have been an A. I did not do my utmost in that particular class (although I think I did work that was quite good, as evidenced by the grade). Still, it’s over and done, and it was good enough. I need to let it go!

It’s insidious. Rooting it out is going to take some more awareness.