‘Start with Now’ is a good umbrella catchall phrase which describes my on & off approach to feeding the blog with sporadic & unscheduled posts…That said, let’s jump right in!
- I sorted through my ‘Goals for 2024’ to where I’m on-track with some, delinquent in others. I am basically pleased with achieving a tenuous balance incorporating prioritized focused attention on specific ‘goals’ with living life in its everydayness adding spicey bits of fun, delight and love as opportunities arise.
- I set up a way to accrue points on time spent doing various aspects of specific items related to my primary music project goals and translated them into ‘reward time’. I call it the Ankara Reward because I’ve been itching to play around with the Ankara fabrics I’ve teamed up with Moda Grunge fabrics designated for a specific quilting project. Using this as a controlled ‘reward time’ helps when I’m in a slump and need motivation to keep going with my music, but mostly it prevents me from going down a rabbit hole of avoidance pulling me away from my primary focus.
- I learned a valuable lesson while using the Ankara Reward as a motivator/break from my primary music project goals: delayed gratification of a reward earned results in diminished joy in reaching that ‘reward’ and makes it feel less significant as a motivator as I continue with the focused tasks.
- Instead of planning a time to redeem my ‘reward’, I decided to forge ahead reasoning that I was on a roll and would be happy to indulge my reward at a later date. The problem with that? I had no idea this would lessen the positive aspects of achieving the ‘reward’ plus deplete my drive to continue with tasks related to the goals they were attached to!
- I learned that delayed gratification has a limit for its usefulness – kind of a weird example of the law of diminishing returns.
- Instead of planning a time to redeem my ‘reward’, I decided to forge ahead reasoning that I was on a roll and would be happy to indulge my reward at a later date. The problem with that? I had no idea this would lessen the positive aspects of achieving the ‘reward’ plus deplete my drive to continue with tasks related to the goals they were attached to!
- I renewed my driver’s license and bought my ‘Real ID’ star. What’s amazing is that my license photo came out uber well!
- I found a recent photo of myself to crop and use in a professional application. What’s amazing is that it came out uber well!
- take a peek: I added it to my ‘About’ page just for fun
- My birthday month is fast approaching. I love my birthday month. But this year I’ll be tipping over the 9’s into my next decade of life…and if I’m honest…The tipping point is kinda hard for me this time around.
Interesting about your conclusions about delayed gratification as a motivator. I’ve been thinking lately that maybe by being less stoic and more impulsive I’d achieve more. Or at least be happier about achieving it. I like your About photo.
It’s all about balance IMHO. Thanks for checking out my new About page photo! Ahem, referring to your latest post (seems related as to the age theme):
terms I was reminded of that I like (as opposed to your original choices) could include grey foxy lady, cougar or even purple hat lady…you get the idea. 😉
Well there you go. You’re not a geezer or a biddy but someone with a far more sophisticated descriptor. You do you, boo!
You, too, boo-boo!
😎
I’m so glad your goals are working out for you. You go, girl! I am the opposite, as goals always feel forced and and make me feel like I can’t do it. But, that’s just me. If I had a set schedule of blogging, my writing would be terrible, and it wouldn’t be a joy. Spontaneous is my middle name. Best to you, Laura!
Well Ms Jennie Spontaneous F. – thanks for the rah-rah lift! Best to you also, dear teacher.
Your photo is lovely, Laura! And happy early birthday wishes for you! Ah, tipping over the 9s. I’ve got a bit of time yet, but the older I get, the more trepidation I feel too. Also, looking forward to seeing your quilt. I’m hoping you’ll share your progress with us 🙂
Marie, thanks for chiming in and sharing in the trepidation…I must say that with each step closer to the actual ‘tipping’ date – it doesn’t feel quite as ominous!
That IS a nice pic on your About page! And yes, rewards don’t work unless you collect them. Funny how that works–ha! Can’t wait to see your ethnic/grunge quilt 😀
Thanks! I just finished cutting out all the Grunge…it’s been a hard day’s raining so it was a fun thing to do inside. 🙂
Sounds like you have a great strategy to keep yourself motivated on your music! I hope you have a spectacular birthday month and tipping out of the 9s is just a milestone in your fabulousness journey 🙂
🙂
Ugh, I commented but it’s not showing up. Dang Reader once again foils me! Anyway, great picture on your ‘About’ page — something for me to consider too. Well done on completing your goals for this year. Next year I should actually construct some for myself! – Marty
FYI: got both of your comments! So each method of commenting did indeed work.
Ugh sorry for the double comments! 😫
No apologies necessary! I view it as all part of the experimental landscape that is WP.
Ah, a picture on the ‘About’ page…. what a great idea. (Also, a “duh” moment for moi) You’re putting me to shame on being so organized about goals. I think I had them for this past year, and certainly some were realized, but it would have helped at the outset to actually construct them. I’ll make that goal for next year. 😆 Well done!
Marty! Great to hear from you! Sometimes a deep dive into organizing goals can get in the way of actually digging into the doing – HA! I like what Mariss said about us humans being a complicated lot…
The practice of delayed gratification has always puzzled me. Is it not a contradiction of your opening to this post “start now”? I try to follow the credo of “do it now”. That said, I too struggle with allowing myself to just do what delights me, and ignore the practicalities of life. It’s the Calvinist Work Ethic that sits on my socialised shoulder.
Aren’t we complicated, us humans?
I had a peak at your Uber photograph and you certainly don’t ‘look the part’, so try to shrug of the looming big birthday and celebrate instead.
Yeah, complicated, that we are! I tend to put off my ‘rewards’ when they come available, then wonder why I feel like all I ever do is ‘work’ – even work that is all about stuff I want to do!
You are so kind to let me know about your impression of my Uber photograph…I’m all in for a celebration, that’s for sure! 😎
Cheers to achieving and being on track with some of your 2024 goals. Otherwise, I hope all is well.
Yes, all is well – thanks for stopping by Frank.
‘Start with Now’ is a good umbrella catchall phrase which describes my on & off approach to feeding the blog with sporadic & unscheduled posts….
I wish I were smart enough to begin my posts so cleverly, Laura! So fun to go check out your photo! Who is reflected in your glasses? The Hubster?
Motivation. I have found that I have to switch up the rewards. M&Ms doesn’t always do it for me anymore. 🙂
Wow! Leave it to a true photographer to look deep into the glass reflections for a glimpse into who’s taking the photo! Yep, that’s hubby. If only he knew he was getting ‘photographed’, too! D-)
Ah yes, I get your thoughts on the rewards and delayed gratification. I do that type of thing, but cannot keep the carrot dangling too long. It’s a process of continuing to learn what works for you, right? And ah. yes, those tipping decades. We could chat about that during our fika. Worth celebrating, though!
A fika chat just might make that tipping decade go more smoothly…;-)
Love catching up with you this way in the here and now. Congrats on checking off on your 2024 goals. Go girl!
Thanks, flower sister!
So much going on! Glad you got the Real ID. I need to get that next time. So nice that your birthday is coming up!!! Also, I love the photo on your About page! 😊
What you learned about delayed gratification is really interesting: “Delayed gratification of a reward earned results in diminished joy in reaching that ‘reward’ and makes it feel less significant as a motivator as I continue with the focused tasks.” That’s something I need to ponder!
Thanks for checking out the ‘About’ page photo – HA! 🙂
As for the pondering – I hope it helps you wherever you’re at in the balancing act of staying on task and enjoying the rewards of doing so!!!!