October 2023

October Thought of the Month

"You've got to get up every morning with determination if you're going to go to bed with satisfaction."

~ George Horace Lorimer

In the old Hollywood musicals, people woke up in the morning with perfect hair and makeup, wide eyed and ready to sing and dance their way to happily ever after. Sometimes before they've even gone to bed as in "Good Morning" from Singin' in the Rain (who couldn't use that kind of energy first thing in the morning?). At this point in the movie the heroes have been up all night determined to find a way to fix a movie that flopped at the first screening and save their studio. And they succeed.

Their determination is the key to that success. It's the foundation to achieving every goal we set ourselves. It can't be something we only dredge up when we think about it or when a deadline looms. It has to be part of our daily routine. With a determined mindset, we can prepare ourselves to work every day on tasks and behaviors that will lead to the achievements we seek. The satisfaction felt with accomplishment is both rewarding and reinforcing.

Find a way to exercise your determination. When I wake up in the morning, ready to dance or not, I think about the things I want to get done that day and make a To Do List. There are only so many hours to work with in a day so I don't make the list too long. That only leads to frustration. At the end of the day, I usually complete most of that list, and can give myself a mental high five.

Use whatever focusing method works for you. Write up your list of things to get done. Start each day with a plan to do something toward the completion of at least one of them. Then go for it. And be sure to include something fun to relax at the end of the day, like read a few chapters of a book, watch a movie or favorite TV show, or work on a hobby. You will go to bed with that great feeling of accomplishment.

[Thought and image design by Elaine C. Oldham]