#TrySomethingSeptember Hot Tips!
We're halfway through #trysomethingseptember
What have you tried so far?
We're halfway through September. Some of you may be belly button deep in a #trysomethingseptember success story. Some of you are wondering how on earth it's already 9/16 ... or even the latter part of 2019, for that matter! Wasn't Fourth of July like last week?!
Breathe.
You're doing great.
Not time for Christmas decorations (yet).
(That said, it's never a bad time to give the gift of Home Ec :) #earlychristmas)
Listen, MailChimp newsletters are not the place to unpack existential dread or where your head is at in regards to the passage of time. We're going to need a face to face and few mugs of coffee for that one. We're just popping in to give some encouragement wherever you happen to be at with #trysomethingseptember.
Either a sprinkle of "Keep it up" or a glug of "Start today! There's still time!"
What? You don't believe us?
Fine. Here are some of our tips for #trysomethingseptember:
1. Take Bite Sized Pieces:
"I'm going to run every day of 2013." College Julia claimed that. And she believed it. But could she achieve it? Hell no! Why? Well, number 1, she was really busy eating Bojangles and having kitchen dance parties with her best friends. But also because setting a goal with a mountain way too big to climb was a recipe for failure. The jubilee of inspiration fades so quickly when you remember that regular life is hard enough to get right. So how about this... try taking it step by step. Set a realistic goal. A tiny one. Even one that is laughably easy. Swap "I'm going to run every day of 2013" for "I'd like to run more in 2013. Starting with tomorrow. I'm going to run tomorrow." And then stick with that. Still too big? Fair enough. We get it. Let's just start with putting on your workout clothes then.
2. Failure is Not an Option
'What would you try if you knew you couldn't fail' is a well worn trope, but I think it bares repeating. If you've gotten this far in the newsletter, I have a hunch that there's something you're zeroing in on that you'd like to try. Now, I want you think about what it would look like to fail at that goal. If your version of failure boils down to anything short perfection, then I'll tell you what... it's going to be really hard to even justify starting. Because, lady, you're definitely not going to be doing anything perfectly. On top of which, the idea of failing denotes an ending. I picture a big, red, rubber stamp of "FAILURE" across a folder that gets filed and put away. Which is such a bummer! Can you imagine how many amazing inventions, works of art, feats of science and literature and even delicious meals we would miss out on in this life if the first attempt was the only shot we got?
You're going to fail. But that's just the end of phase 1.
3. If you don't like it, move on.
Life is short. If you try painting or poetry or pure barre and it's not your bag, you have permission to leave it behind. And then try something else.
4. Talk about it!
Nothing beautiful can grow in the shade. (Or something like that... I can't find the exact quote I'm looking for and it's driving me crazy!) Listen, I don't have the time or the energy to look up the stats on this one, but you're just going to have to trust me: Humans are 5 million times more successful when they share their goals with those around them. Fact. Keeping dreams and goals, big or small, to yourself allows them to die quietly with zero fanfare or celebration. Try something new loudly! Talk about it! Share in the struggles and the successes so that when whatever you're up to does fly or fall, it can be done with the calamitous bang and fireworks that every idea brave enough to be attempted deserves.
Also, it's way more fun in the process of it all too have a friend cheer you on.
(Cyber friends count! Tag us with #trysomethingseptember !)