I think that sometimes we feel as if our actions don’t count because we do dozens of things very quickly in our day. As women, we’ve often been conditioned to do so much in such a short period of time. You jump from one thing to the next, never really being able to enjoy your day or live in the moment. At the end of the day, you might feel like you haven’t really accomplished anything at all.
So maybe it’s best to choose just one or two things to do each day with intention, dedication and care.
For instance, I decided on this particular day that I was going to clear out my refrigerator from top to bottom then reorganize it. This will make it much easier for me to see the foods I have available so that I’ll be more likely to eat them. My plan includes enjoying a delicious snack (maybe some cheese and salami), maybe a glass of wine or champagne and of course a great Audiobook.
Now if I decided to do this task on a whim when I was already overwhelmed with things to do, I’d probably just quickly throw a few things out and take shortcuts. But because I’ve decided to do this ONE task with intention, dedication and care, it will be done right. And I will enjoy the fruits of this task for many weeks. I’ll remember that I accomplished something.
Here are a few other tasks that can be done with intention, dedication and care that you’ll remember long after you’ve done them:
- Cleaning and waxing your car (wax on wax off).
- Clearing out your garage and giving stuff away to charity (be sure to keep the receipt).
- Removing all of your clothes from your closet and giving anything you haven’t worn for over a year away promptly to charity.
- Spending hours perfecting a new look (hair, makeup, outfit).
- Cooking a very tasty, very healthy meal for yourself and packing the leftovers in trays for future lunches.
- Planting a small area of your yard with a colorful array of flowers, taking care to plan out how they will look.
- Brushing and grooming your pet.
- Taking down your entire bed, freshening the mattress with a shampooer, washing your sheets in your favorite detergent or replacing them with 300 count sheets.
- Writing 1 short story, blog post or article that is carefully thought-out and researched.
- Reading a book, taking a 2-hour online course or practicing a language.
Now if you tried to do all of these things in one day or one weekend, you would be overwhelmed and they would be done poorly. But if you commit to doing JUST ONE THING the job will get done THE RIGHT WAY. And you’ll feel better about your accomplishment for the day.
As you can probably see, this idea (doing things with intention) is also about self-care. Pick tasks that are directly beneficial to you. Not only do you feel better about yourself for having accomplished something, you have also done something that will make your day, week or life much easier and more enjoyable.
You matter and your actions matter. Do something with intention, dedication and care this week.
Love Lynn
Update 10/10/16 11pm: Mission accomplished!
Lynn Gilliard is an author and blogger. Her new book You Matter encourages women to know and understand their worth. She is also the author of a popular relationship guide entitled Let Him Chase YOU.
Featured photo courtesy of Flickr/allkindsofnew