Monday, January 2, 2017

Celebrating Small Accomplishments

Happy New Year, kind readers! As creatives, we are more subject to mental illnesses such as depression, anxiety, and bipolar disorder.  The scientific jury is out on whether a proven link exists between creativity and these disorders, the most prominent link being between creativity and bipolar disorder.  A link between creativity and depression, though not necessarily scientifically proven, seems to exist anecdotally among myself, my friends, and people in Facebook groups I frequent (and it doesn’t necessarily have to be a bad thing).

In 2005, right around my 30th birthday, I didn't know where my life was going.  I went into Barnes and Noble, looking for a guided journal that would speak to me and help me get back on the right track.  The best they had to offer was this little black book with a clock on the front called Do It Now! by Pat Croce.  It gave you a to-do list with 23 blanks, and then a second page for follow-up.  At the time, it turned out to be worth it, because I was literally so depressed that I was having trouble getting out of bed in the morning. I started to put things on my "Do It Now!" list that included things like "Get out of bed," "Take a shower," "Brush your teeth," and “Get dressed."  It was in the process of doing those little accomplishments that I started to get my mojo back.  I could do small things that made me feel better.  Being able to check those things off on my to-do list gave me a sense of accomplishment, like my day hadn't been a total waste of precious time, and that the space that I take up on this planet was not a waste.  So, I recommend just using a blank piece of notebook paper, numbered to 23.  And make your to-do list items as small as possible.  If you have a creative dream that you're working on, this approach works for that too.

My creative dream right now, in addition to building my following with Succulent Diva, is a nonprofit of my creation, the Everybody Can Play Music Collective.  I've been getting disheartened with it over the past year or so just because we're not getting the word out as fast as I would like.  We had an organization that was going to fiscally sponsor us, and that has fallen by the wayside.  I've tried to crowdfunding to fundraise with only minimal success.  We have nine kids on a waiting list right now because I can't float the cost of buying their books out of pocket anymore.  A lot of little things have been getting me down.  My friend Andrea Schroeder has a business called the Creative Dream Incubator, which includes a paid subscription site called the Creative Dream Circle.  Recently, within the circle, they did a mastermind called Creating Momentum, where each person was supposed to pick a reason they were participating in the Mastermind and commit to one tiny goal each day, and then they were supposed to report back to the group after they completed their goal.  I got more done in that month than I had in many months, just because I was actually working on the dream itself and had made a commitment to it.

So, whether you're birthing a creative dream, or just having trouble getting out of bed in the morning, setting tiny goals and celebrating their accomplishments can help you.  You can choose how you want to celebrate your accomplishments. I usually choose one particular thing I’m working on for a particular day/week/month and then put a sticker on my calendar if I accomplish that thing.
Please leave comments below telling us how you celebrate your small accomplishments!

3 comments:

  1. I totally relate to having to make goals just to shower and get out of bed. I'm doing better and am able to make goals with my writing and my career rather than my daily maintenance. Sometimes you just have to focus on the small details to work your way up to the bigger ones.

    Sounds like we're about the same age too. I celebrate my accomplishments by telling family and friends about them or rewarding myself with gaming time. It's a nice way to do things!

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    1. Yes very close. My birthday is in October :) Same age. I told you I'm also turning 42 this year on Instagram!

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  2. To-do lists work wonderfully to get over the mountain - whatever it may be. Great post.

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