When Setting Goals, Go Easy on Yourself

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We sometimes set impossible standards for ourselves. Everyone is guilty of this. We set time deadlines without considering important factors like how does this goal work with the other goals/things I’m working on, or is this timeline realistic? Sometimes when we don’t reach the goals in the time frame we allotted, we struggle to give ourselves credit. We feel like we’re not good enough.

I was reading the other day (<- sidebar: this opening line can be used for my every day) and I stumbled upon a thoughtful excerpt from the book Little & Lion by Brandy Colbert. One of the main characters, a teenage boy named Lionel recently diagnosed with bipolar disorder, gives some timely advice to his stepsister.

“Sometimes, when I’m getting all down on myself…” Lionel pauses […] “Sometimes Dr. Tarrasch makes me repeat this thing. She makes me say, I’m doing the best I can. I thought it was corny, but I don’t know. It kind of works. Nobody’s ever trying to do their worst…”

I love this. It’s simple, it’s true, and can it be a personal mantra for helping you get through the tougher goals and challenges that you set for yourself. You are amazing, win or lose. Everyday is a new day to start over again, or to build upon a strong foundation you’re already laying down for your future. Let this post serve as a friendly reminder that you’ve got this, even on the days when you think you don’t.

Photo by Ben O’Sullivan on Unsplash