Many years ago, when I was a baby dancer, I
was given a piece of advice that literally changed my life. It wasn’t presented
as guidance; it was just a simple statement.
I was chatting with a friend, a well-known
film actress who’d formerly been a professional ballet dancer. When I asked how she balanced her extremely
busy life- being a mom, a wife, a busy working performer and doing extensive
charity work, she said,
“I make it a point to do just
one thing that is good for myself and one thing that is good for my career
every single day.”
At first I was stumped. It didn’t seem like a formula that would lead
to success…especially not the kind she was having!
It was so obvious and simple.
But then I couldn’t stop thinking about what
she’d said.
That evening, as I mulled it over, I
realized that she wasn’t referring to simple daily tasks like sending out acting
resumes, going to meetings, taking her toddler for a play date or outing in the
park.
It was about making conscious decisions to enrich life and
career every day.
It was about being thoughtful
and taking deliberate action.
It was about taking baby steps to achieve goals and
make dreams come true!
I started putting this plan into action for
myself. If I took a walk in the morning,
I’d think, “I’m doing something that’s good for myself!” When I had to do
administrative work, or go to a rehearsal when all I wanted to do was take a
nap, my attitude would change considerably when the voice in my head told me I
was doing something that was good for my career.
Pretty soon, I didn’t stop at doing just one thing- it lead to doing many things, over the course of each
day!
Instead of procrastinating, I
would embrace all my scheduled tasks with a sense of enthusiasm… cause they were good for my career; and
instead or running myself ragged, I began to take the time to do something good
for myself, too. Whether that meant
watching trash television or doing something that fulfilled me creatively and
spiritually, I embraced it- I took necessary “me time” without feeling guilty.
The whole concept allowed me to juggle a
number of projects at once without feeling inundated with work or mentally
taxed. It enabled me to look at life with a fresh perspective, and embrace
everything I was doing in a considerate, almost meditative way, by setting large scale goals and
then taking daily “just one thing” baby steps to attain them, making whatever I
was working on a reality.
This concept can really make your dreams come true... it's like magic- just try
it, and you’ll see for yourself!
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Get your
autographed copy of “The Belly Dance Handbook: A Companion For The Serious
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| Graphics and photo by Maharet Hughes |
Posts
Thanks for sharing. I need to be reminded off this when I let something like time for me slide off my plate.
ReplyDeleteGreat advice! It's always those small, micro-steps that lead to achieving big dreams.
ReplyDelete