Many things can happen to shake our confidence. We lose faith in ourselves at times and begin to doubt if we can handle all we have to accomplish. As soon as we make a mistake or don’t think we’ve done ‘enough,’ we start to feel worthless. We forgot about that appointment at 4 pm. and it’s as if the world may end. In actuality, we can reschedule it for a less hectic day. The laundry doesn’t always make it out of the dryer the same day it goes in, now does it? You know what? It’ll be there tomorrow. Okay, so maybe you wanted to go through that giant stack of bills and papers on your kitchen counter, but it got pushed off until tomorrow. Or you thought you’d ace that test, but it won’t be one to hang on the fridge after all. We plan with the best of intentions. But life often throws a wrench in that perfect plan, and we stop trusting in our abilities. Every time things don’t go the way we had initially planned, we see it as a mistake or a failure on our part. Busy lives, full schedules, and often, too many responsibilities can lead to doubting our capabilities and feeling like a failure. Usually, we spread ourselves too thin. Many of us set the bar too high. We are our own worst critics.
Everyone who knows me well, knows I’m an avid list maker. And yes, I feel satisfaction checking off that box. But even I have learned I cannot plan every minute of every day. I like to set goals. It gives me focus and lowers my stress so I can prioritize what I have to do in a day or within the week. However, some things can wait. And it is okay. It’ll still get done. I’m learning not to let it bring me down. I’ve learned to expect the unexpected. If something can go wrong, it usually does. I can handle it. Staying calm and coming up with an alternate plan helps. If it’s important and something I genuinely want to do, I figure it out. Where there’s a will, there is always a way! I certainly have not mastered that completely. I’m a work in progress. But I’m learning to trust that I am capable of handling a ‘bad’ situation if I believe in my self and adjust my plan of attack. I’ve learned that when life hands me lemons; I can either feel sorry for myself, moan and cry or, I can make limoncello 😉
Listen, we can’t always be perfect all the time. Just because your original plan didn’t work out doesn’t mean you failed. Roll with the punches. Take it in stride. If it didn’t happen Tuesday by 5 pm, that’s okay. Make it happen Wednesday. You see, I believe it’s great to plan out your priorities and have a schedule. To-Do lists help us to stay motivated and get things accomplished. But who’s to say if you don’t check off that box today you can’t check it off tomorrow?! Be willing to adjust. Allow your list to be flexible. Instead of seeing it as a failure, realize you still can accomplish that goal another day. Have faith in yourself. Don’t let life shake your confidence. Trust in your ability to do what you’ve set out to do. Remind yourself that you are strong, smart, worthy, capable. You CAN do it. And you WILL! Now get out there and ‘Live YOUR best life!’