Below, Young Woman Watering a Shrub by Berthe Morisot
So, very recently, I have taken to list making in order to encourage myself that I'm doing something right, something which in some way moves me closer towards the end result. I also know that it helps to enjoy the process, to find the process rewarding, not just the end result.
It's hard, at times, for me to feel that reading a book as research for a writing project is as much of an accomplishment as adding words, paragraphs, pages to the actual work in progress. However, in reality, of course, these things are important. The written work is built on inspiration and information drawn from many sources, so each stage of the creative process has some value. In a little notebook I keep by my bed, I take note, "I read so many chapters of such and such a book by which I hope to learn such and such." It somehow gives encouragement to see it noted in a visible way.
Although I am trying to focus on one book project currently, I have many irons in the fire, many book projects, with a notebook for each one. When I get ideas, I note my plot outlines, character descriptions, other bits and pieces of loose ideas, maybe even bits of dialogue into my notebooks. I keep another notebook for almost everything else: prayers and prayer requests, general to-do lists, general planning, other thoughts that seem worth noting down in writing. This is the one I've been using to encourage myself on my personal progress.
At work, I'm employing some similar methods. As a reporter, I spend a lot of time on hold for various things, waiting for return phone calls, while I have several documents for stories open, plugging along as much as I can on each simultaneously. I've always had a way of tracking all my attempted calls along with the times I left messages. Lately, I list this in one place along with each thing I do towards progress in the final story. Somehow, in spite of the frustration of phone tag and waiting, it helps to visually see I'm taking all the proper steps towards the end result.
Another personal goal that has its ups and downs is my goal for weight loss. It is such an act of perseverance when you have more than just five or ten pounds to lose. A friend of mine, who was also working on his weight, once said, "The scale is demonic." Although we are both Christians and believe in the supernatural, he meant this more facetiously than literally. However, stepping on the scale is often a source of discouragement. The scale measures everything: the meal you just ate and are still digesting, any clothes you happen to be wearing, the extra water in your system. Those numbers just bounce around, five up and then five down. At times, it's hard to tell if you're climbing upwards towards the goal or walking backwards down the stairs. Sometimes, you just have to avoid that "demonic" scale for a longer period of time and believe that if you do the right things -- consume less food and exercise more -- you will eventually see the right kind of results.
With weight loss, note taking is also important. Keep track of what foods you eat and what type of exercise you did for how long on what day. As mentioned before, enjoying the process certainly helps. To keep to a fitness plan, find a type of exercise that you actually enjoy. For me, I find that I enjoy any type of exercise more when it's set to music I like and that gets me going. Also, I discovered I like dance exercise and have tried it in multiple styles and forms. The process is rewarding, because it is fun, the creative aspect of it is endless, and it releases endorphins, the feel-good hormones.
Setbacks will happen. For me, some niggling physical issues have given me trouble in recent days, putting me a little behind with some progress in some areas. If you have a worthy goal, whether they are the same as mine or otherwise, don't give up.
One Scripture I keep thinking about in recent days is Galatians 6:9 "Do not be weary in well-doing, for in due time, you shall reap, if you faint not." The apostle Paul here is writing about spiritual goals and doing good works. I don't want to stretch the verse to take on a meaning that was not intended, but God does care about our work and our endeavors that are not clearly spiritual in nature. Although it's possible to have a goal in mind that God would not choose to bless -- it's important to ask God's guidance and let Him direct or even redirect us -- God cares about every aspect of our lives and all of our work. My father, a retired engineer, has often told me he feels that God has helped him solve tough problems as an engineer when he prayed over his work.
"For in due time, you shall reap if you faint not."
Watering the Garden by Daniel Ridgeway Knight
"Through perseverance, many people win success out of what seemed destined to be certain failure." -- Benjamin Disraeli
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