You Can Do It!

“You Can Do It!” is something I need to remind myself of regularly. I often get ideas but then I struggle to act on the ideas. Last year my word for the year was “confident action”. Yes, I know that’s two words but I think I needed both words. When I first chose the words I thought about writing a confident action manifesto but then have never done it. Just one example of having an idea and not acting on it!

Often I’ll write quotes or phrases down that I want to remember. This has obviously been something that I’ve done for a long time as I have this notebook that I think I got for my 16th birthday. Soon after I received it I started reading a book called “Through Open Windows” by Rita F. Snowden. It was one lady writing to another lady and included a number of poems. I recorded some of the ones that spoke to me.

Since then I’ve continued to record, poems, sayings, quotes from books and other things I’ve wanted to remember in this notebook and a number of other notebooks. The trouble is they are not all in one place.

Recently I saw something about putting positive affirmations as reminders in your phone. This way you would see the positive words throughout your day.

Or maybe, I should print something off that I can put up to see as a regular reminder. Perhaps I need one of those flip calendars so I can turn over to a new positive message each day.

Here’s some of the encouraging, motivating and thought provoking messages that have resonated with me lately:

• As soon as you begin to doubt the success of your plans failure is already on the way. – recorded in a notebook when I was a young adult
• Discern purpose and vision in the dark, make plans in the light. Episode 7, The Next Right Thing Podcast
• Have to know the shape of the gift before we can wrap it up. Episode 131, That Sounds Fun Podcast
• Celebrate what is rather than seeing what isn’t. Episode 131, That Sounds Fun Podcast
• The only way to get past fear is to move through it. – Carey Nieuwhof

We have this painting on our wall. It was an engagement present. It is one of my favourites as it’s titled “Never Give Up”. It’s been a good reminder to me over the years to keep going and not give up on things.

My word for this year is supposed to be “now”. As in “now is the time”. This word is supposed to be motivating me do things and not put them off. I think I needed to be reminded of my word. Also reread this personal affirmation that I wrote at the beginning of the year for myself:

God has uniquely gifted me for this time and this place.

This reminded me of a blog post I wrote (on a similar quote), when my blog was fairly new.

This “You Can Do It” post is my ‘Y’ post for the Blogging from A to Z April Challenge. It has been about motivating and encouraging myself. Hopefully it has helped you as well. I’m off to getting moving on some of my dreams and plans.

How do you stay motivated? What message has resonated with you lately? What personal affirmation do you need to hear right now?