A NEW YEAR (A.N.Y.), a new way question series:
At the beginning of the year I posted our first article in this series explaining a new way to approach New Year's resolutions. Each day we will explore a different question that challenges us to understand ourselves better. The format will be as follows: I will post the previous day's question with my answer followed by the next day's question for contemplation.
Question #3: Do you often make mistakes in your work?
My Answer: If you look at my blog list you will see the revamped version of the first question and a previous entry that claims to be the third question in the series; it is not. This is a classic example of my doing a mistake in my work. I am a perfectionist and nothing frustrates me more than these little mistakes that continue to plague me. Hard as I try to have a perfect work day, I still seem to screw up continuously. When my Common Guru partner and I decided to revamp my first response into a more attractive format, it was decided that I would just repost the new entry. I didn’t do that and as you can see, I edited the first response instead. Why did I do the exact opposite of what was decided? I chalk it up to not setting myself up for success and I have done this form of self-sabotage in many areas of my life. I fail to be in the present moment and continue to not be prepared for the task that is in front of me. My mind is going a mile a minute and because I am not focused on the task at hand, I miss the small little details that keep me from the perfection I seek.
When my two boys were at my house for the holiday season I noticed they followed in my footsteps. My post called Hypocrisy is a fabulous thing details my journey through slob rehab and how I manifested self-sabotage by being messy. I didn’t realize how my actions had impacted my boys until the three of us were living together again. My house was now neat and orderly and they ransacked it in a matter of hours. I sat them both down and explained to them that there were many areas that I did well as a parent but in this area I had failed them. I did not teach them how to set themselves up for success, instead I taught them to be sloppy and not put stuff away when they were done with it. I further explained that setting myself for success in the small things laid the groundwork for setting myself up for success in the big things. This messy approach wasn’t a true representative of how organized and proactive I could be. Having this constant state of disarray took up a lot of mental energy that could be used for more productive things. I showed them that the biggest contributor to the problem was the justification that I could leave it out, just in case, I needed it again. I shared that this was just a form of laziness for I didn’t want to put it away right after I used it. I was procrastinating and there was no sense in lying to myself anymore about it.
I further went on to describe another culprit of self-sabotage; my not being in the present moment when doing a task. I still struggle with that. My mind wanders and I don’t give the proper attention and thought to what is needed at the time. I don’t strategize when cooking to determine what is required utensil and ingredient wise to execute the impending task with efficiency and ease. This causes a disruption in flow and often leads to accidents because my hands are full or covered in food and I’m juggling for another utensil or ingredient. Why not take the few seconds prior to starting and properly prepare myself and the area for everything that’s needed? This sets me up for excellence and makes the task more enjoyable. I have started to do this and my stress level with kitchen activities has decreased immensely.
My youngest reiterated that he completely understood what was happening when my mother would come into the kitchen and leave a wake behind her of used, left out items and dirty dishes. He didn’t realize where this habit had come from and that it was a generational problem. He was completely flabbergasted that he never saw this before but now completely understood why my mother’s kitchen got messy so quickly. I believe he is now a changed man and hope that he can use this new approach in all aspects of his life.
Did this response resonate with you? I would love to hear your take on the question and how it impacted you. Please post your thoughts below.
Tomorrow's question:
Are you sarcastic and obnoxious? Response posted tomorrow.
Who is the Common Guru? Here is our introductory article
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