Preparation: Choices Made from Lessons Learned

“You may not be able to prepare for everything, but you can certainly be prepared for anything!” Jennifer Scott

I have a shining example of the importance of preparation as evidenced by my 5 year old yesterday morning. He decided he wanted to paint. This was a big decision and required many little decisions to be made before he could begin. First, he needed to have enough forethought about his end product to determine what kind of painting he wanted. Was it to be large, or small? Was he going to use white paper or manila? Was it going to be a gift? Was it to hang on the wall? And, perhaps most importantly, what type of paint was to be used?

You may be wondering why exactly this was all so important. Let me rewind for you… The last time my son decided he wanted to paint he did not think things through. Lessons learned were many. Number one: Poster paint and water colors do not work the same way. Water colors blend and make pretty shades. Mixing poster paint makes mud. Number two: Manila paper holds more paint than white easel paper, which when wet, rips very easily. Number three: You have to be willing to part with a gift, or at least be willing to paint a second masterpiece. Number four: Paint spills easily.

So, choices made from lessons learned, and preparation continued. Next came set up. He decided to paint at the kitchen table. He needed the paper, his paints and brushes, water, and a roll of paper towels. We set him up and off he went. Sort of. My son is very particular... (I wonder where he gets that from…) He wanted to decide what the subject matter was to be before he began (another critical step in preparing for success demonstrated…) I won’t get into the end results in case there are any child psychologists reading… but suffice to say I have a beautiful painting now hanging on my office wall.

What I was reminded of was that preparation for any task, large or small, work or play is an absolute requirement for success. If we hadn’t remembered the paper towels, for example, the blue paint which ultimately colored the river would have been the size of a lake, and on my kitchen floor instead of on the paper. Mental preparation (getting over the fear of the giant mess form last week), careful planning, and physical set up of workspace all came into play. If it’s so helpful to a 5 year old, imagine what it could do for me…

Attitude: More Lessons From My Son

“Enjoy the little things in life, for one day you may look back and realize they were the big things." ~~Antonio Smith~~

Do you remember when something as simple as getting to use an electric mixer was sure to be the start of an awesome day? How about when eating pancakes for breakfast was the Best. Thing. Ever. Or, when waiting a WHOLE WEEK until your birthday seemed like an eternity, and you couldn’t think of anything more important than who was coming to your party? Was life simpler then? I don’t think so. 5 year olds struggle enormously with peer pressure (yes, even at that age!), fears, uncertainty, and setting boundaries… That sounds a lot like what most adults suffer from too… so, what’s changed? Personally, I think it’s nothing more than attitude. Sure, the pressure is about more significant things, as are the fears and uncertainty, but you would think that since our power of deduction is also more significant, and our experiences are certainly much more vast, we would be able to handle the pressure as well as the little ones do…

I want to go back to getting excited about the “small stuff”. (And, I’d go as far as arguing that these things really are NOT the “small stuff”!) So, here’s my Attitude Adjustment for today: I will rejoice in what’s REALLY important in my life! I know my day will be awesome because I made pancakes with my son this morning, and we had fun! I’m celebrating the fact that there’s a smile on my face, and one on his too.

Motivation: Finding Your Balance

“Just as your car runs more smoothly and requires less energy to go faster and farther when the wheels are in perfect alignment, you perform better when your thoughts, feelings, emotions, goals, and values are in balance." ~~Brian Tracy~~

It makes sense; when you feel balanced, you feel in control. When you lose your balance, you feel out of control. I watched my almost 5 year old on a balance beam last night when I picked him up from daycare. It was cute. He was so proud to be able to walk the beam, arms outstretched, without falling. One of his friends was even able to walk backwards on the beam without as much as a wobble. That balance is hard to find. There are certainly external activities that can help you gain that balance when you feel off center… E.F.T., yoga, meditation, relaxation, affirmations… all things I write about a lot, but sometimes forget to practice. I am looking for balance again. I’ve been feeling overwhelmed and a little out of control this week. I discovered yesterday, with the help of my accountability group, that it was really time to regain balance and control. Watching my son on that balance beam helped me see how important that balance really is. I don’t want to fall. I don’t even want to wobble. So today I practice what I preach. E.F.T. (tapping) this morning, music on now, blogging before working to put that balance out to the world, and affirmations coming soon.

What will you practice today to help you find your balance?

Attitude: Lessons From My Kitten

“I am not judged by the number of times I fail, but by the number of times I succeed: and the number of times I succeed is in direct proportion to the number of times I fail and keep trying.” ~~Tom Hopkins~~

Do you have pets? How about children? I think we could all learn something from them… Have you ever noticed how many times they will attempt something before giving up? It’s almost unbelievable.

We got kittens in January. The scenario goes something like this: He jumps up on the counter. I put him down. He jumps up on the counter. I put him down. He jumps up on the counter. I put him down. He follows me in to my office. He jumps up on my desk. I put him down. He jumps up on my desk. I put him down. He jumps up on my desk. I put him down. He goes to lie down on his cat bed next to my desk. It’s comical, but think about it. If we all had the perseverance of a kitten, we’d all be exactly where we want to be in our lives. Because believe me… as soon as I walk out of the room, that kitten is on my desk! Determination, persistence, and a positive attitude… a winning combination! Know you can, and you will.

Another thing I think we could all learn from our pets and/or our kids: it’s all about playing; everything’s a game, so you may as well have some fun.

“Nothing in this world can take the place of persistence. Talent will not; nothing is more common than unsuccessful people with talent. Genius will not; unrewarded genius is almost a proverb. Education will not; the world is full of educated derelicts. Persistence and determination alone are omnipotent. The slogan "press on" has solved and always will solve the problems of the human race” ~~Calvin Coolidge