How to make projects and goals
Well, April marked my one-year anniversary of starting this blog. Happy Blogiversary to me! I think I've been fairly good at keeping up on the articles. My goal was to start a blog in 2017 and write a post every month-- which I almost achieved this first year (10/12 months). As with anything, it can become difficult. It's hard trying to figure something out when you have no idea what to do or where to start (but it's not impossible). In this case, it's trying to find new blog ideas and film ideas. But, the key word here is: starting. As I've talked about in my "Creativity is hard work", post from last summer. I may be repeating myself here, and may reiterate these ideas again in another future post-- but I don't think it hurts to do so. You just have to start somewhere with something and keep working at it. Regardless of where you think it's going to go-- good or bad. You have to get there to make that judgment anyway. Regardless, if you stumble. So, really it's starting and re-starting every day, after that, when working on your project and goals.
If there's anything I've learned and am still learning, or rather working on being better at is-- consistency. Without consistency or constant effort-- you don't get very far. You either move a few steps or re-circle back, but it's not forward motion. That motion and momentum gets you closer to where you want to go, so you have to keep at it. It all sounds so easy in words or as self-advice, however, in practice it takes a lot of self-generated effort, accountability and energy.
"Success consists of going from failure to failure without loss of enthusiasm."
-Winston Churchill
Throwing a pity party for yourself, complaining, or blaming, avoiding, or being negative about your current pitfalls, expend energy (so much energy!) that could be used for moving the project forward, either by finally starting or continuing it. Brainstorming, problem-solving, a broken-down goal list, a positive pep-talk to your inner self that reminds you've gotten this far and you can get through the rest, just trying again-- works to help make a thing that's already been difficult, a little less difficult. Everything I mentioned at the beginning of this paragraph-- is terribly easy. It's also the best way to free yourself from actually doing anything. It's so easy to miserable, stay miserable, and make others miserable. The true skill and worthwhile fight is making people (and yourself) genuinely feel the opposite and to go out and accomplish things-- and to continue on without those ghosts of bitterness and defeat.
The point is that instead of complaining you didn't get to work on _____ today-- look at what you can do right now to work on _____. Because whether it's 10 minutes or half of a day, something gets you moving forward. That self-generated effort is what comes into play now. It's all up to you. That's the accountability-- you either hold yourself to it, or you don't. And if you fail, or mess up-- don't berate yourself for it. That's a waste of time, change the attitude and say okay, "I'll work on _____ now". You have to make that choice and re-frame your thoughts. Use that remaining energy positively and say: "I will do this".
"It had long since come to my attention that people of accomplishment rarely sat back and let things happen to them. They went out and happened to things."
-Leonardo da Vinci
Most importantly, after saying you'll do it-- you do it and keep doing it, step by step, a little bit, at a time. Break it down into steps. The second key, and 's' to this post, is steps. Steps makes projects/goals less overwhelming and give you tinier milestones to accomplish daily and consistently work on. These completed pieces let you build the bigger picture. The point is you have to make the steps and then take them! (Gets back to the starting thing again. And remember, it's better late than never.) Always focus on the next step and soon enough those steps get you to your destination. Then when you look back and ask yourself: "how did I do this?". You might not fully know how, but you'll know your determination, consistency, and positive effort, is what helped get you there. Keep creating.