Recently I was reading a blog post by writer and blogger Jeff Goins. He was sharing that one of his secrets to marriage success is having a common goal or something to look forward to. You can check out the post here.
I forwarded the blog post to my husband, because I thought it would be an interesting conversation piece and then I wrote down the following in my notebook where I keep all of my random thoughts:
I need something to look forward to.
And there it sat for weeks.
I need something to look forward to.
I started to think. Maybe more than having a shared goal in marriage, I should be building a life where something that I value is always waiting for me around the corner, and that maybe this idea goes beyond the marriage and can be applied to many more areas of my life.
I’m not saying wish away every minute of every day for the next potentially great thing without appreciating the moment you are in. I’m all about staying present in each moment.
But I’ve noticed when I do have something to look forward to, I find it much easier to move through the tasks and drudgery of real life that can leave me worn out, uninspired and drained. Because let’s face it, sometimes life is a real sucky, boring snooze fest.
I’m never going to be able to find the joy in folding laundry, cleaning the grout in the shower, plucking chin hairs, or traffic jams. When I have something to look forward to, I don’t have to.
I can look forward to…
A Goal – Go to yoga four times this week, post on my blog two times – a goal can be as simple as having clean clothes to wear tomorrow (which means I need to do some laundry) or as complex as making a career shift.
A New Experience – I used to dread trying something new. The risk involved would leave me up all night my stomach in knots for days. Now I seek out new things big and small, and am able to enjoy the anticipation.
A Trip – Even a day trip or one night away or walk into town is enough. It doesn’t have to be a week long luxury vacation although those are nice too, but I like knowing that adventure is around the corner.
A Date – A scheduled time to meet someone special whether it’s my husband or a friend is a chance to cover up the dark circles under my eyes and connect with another person.
An Event – I find that parties and events can be tricky if expectations are too high, but I look forward to them anyway.
A Purchase – Not a shopping binge, I find those always end in a little buyer’s remorse, but there’s nothing quite like a well researched, well thought out, highly valued purchase.
A Transition – When I’m moving through something it might be bumpy, but I still look forward to it because I know I’ll come out okay on the other side.
I feel more grounded when I’m on a timeline stringing along my little and big things and moving from one thing to the next. I start to feel out of sorts when time stretches in front of me with no obvious points of reference.
I am the most content when I feel like I am making progress
And I make the most progress when I have something to look forward to.
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