I’m late.
I did not live up to my goal of getting several of these Daily Nudges written and scheduled in advance. Instead, I told myself that my old habit of doing things at the last minute would work again, at least for one more day while I dealt with a van in the shop and an apparently not-housebroken-after-all puppy, following a miserable and expensive week in a motel room.
Last night I was so stressed out I set the alarm for 4:30am and went to sleep, figuring I could write today’s Nudge then. But of course, when the alarm went off I turned it off and went back to sleep.
Yep, that’s what happens when you live by last-minute deadlines. It’s a terrible habit that I mean to break.
But I have forgiven myself and I’m moving on. That’s the lesson here.
We all fail repeatedly in our goals but the important thing is what we do THEN. Do you pick yourself up and keep moving? Do you forgive yourself? Or do you flog your own back with the figurative chains of hurtful words? Why did I do that? I never get anything right! I am such a fuck-up!
Please, stop.
Not only is that an over-reaction and just plain mean — it doesn’t work. In fact, mentally yelling at yourself actually makes you MORE likely to procrastinate next time, anything to avoid the self-shaming bully in your head.
It takes time and effort to silence that bully but it starts one self-forgiving step at a time. Say after me:
“Sh*t happens”
Now, have a little chuckle and move on.
And of course, if you could use a little help with that, click here.
