Oh, you thought that the Preparing for 2018 series was done? Not hardly, mes amis!
Despite all of the more “serious” posts in the Preparing for 2018, I want it to be clear that preparing for the upcoming year is FUN! You should be enjoying this process. If you aren’t having fun, then it’s time to prioritize fun and indulge in it regularly. The best way to get what you want – in an enjoyable manner – is to approach it all with a sense of fun and hopefulness.
I mean, you could work hard, hate making certain moves, and eventually get to the end goal that you desire. Lots of people trudge their way to their goals, and embracing extraordinary difficulties is often praised in our culture (so much so, I’ve seen people go out of their way to make things harder for themselves!). I’ve seen the notion that the only way to have an “authentic” journey, worthy of a grand goal at the finish line, is to experience many pains and hardships, along with zero happiness as you make those critical moves.
But how much nicer is it when you punctuate your journey with joy, levity and adventure? Every day may not be a party, but we’re shooting for, at minimum, periodically pleasant. Having some fun can often give you the push you need to keep going forward with your plans.
And if your plans are constantly depressing, draining, or drudgery, it’s time for new dreams. Seriously. Sometimes what we want has changed and we don’t even know it. Or, we’ve invested so much to get to this point that we’re afraid that we’ll lose everything if we switch gears.
Only you can answer whether your investment (of time, energy, finances or other resources) is worth continued misery. For some, a short period of misery may be worth it. But sometimes, it’s better to scrap the entire plan and start over.
In any case, start prioritizing fun. Remember to do things that make you laugh, warm your heart, or give you a sense of satisfaction.
And do it TODAY. Tomorrow is promised to no one.
