I had an epiphany recently…
In the midst of some emotional distress, I was attempting to give myself a certain amount of time to get over something I didn’t cause. How unrealistic is that? Extremely, but I’ve always given myself timelines, do this by that age, do that by this month etc. It’s time for me to abandon timelines. I’m losing the joy for achieving my goals because there’s this deadbolt of time attached to them and I’m tired of it. It doesn’t mean that I’m not going to give my goals some realistic time constraints.
For example, I finished writing my first novel and I want to publish it this year – that’s it – this year, not by May or by August or by November – just some time this year. I don’t want to rush my creative and self-publishing process because I gave myself a time to have it all done by. However, still give yourself timelines for certain things like a financial savings goal by the end of the year but, don’t put a timeline on everything.
Don’t put a timeline on recovering from a heartbreak. Don’t put a timeline on your body goals. Don’t put a timeline on marriage and children. Don’t put a timeline on things that are out of your control.
In truth, we’re all on God’s timeline but we try our best to create our own and when something doesn’t go our way or get achieved by a certain time we feel less than, defeated, unsuccessful etc. and that’s simply not true. Gauge your successes but don’t do it by time alone. The completion of the goal is more important than the time it took to achieve it. This generation is obsessed with final outcomes but ignores the journey, the time spent, the sleepless nights, the learning curve etc. Be proud of you just because you’re trying, you are trying to be better than you were yesterday. But, truth is, you’ll never run out of yesterday’s but, you can run out of today’s judging yourself by a future that hasn’t happened yet.
One more time for those in the back.
Truth is, you’ll never run out of yesterday’s but, you can run out of today’s judging yourself by a future that hasn’t happened yet.
We start to believe that if we haven’t achieved this and that by a certain time that we have fallen short of our own ,in-part, unrealistic timeline because there’s still a higher power at work, therefore, you’re plan will never be completely faultless. Keep working diligently on becoming the best you but don’t put timelines on things you have no true control over. Work on living life freely without the constraints of hours, days, weeks, months and years. Just do, as long as you keep doing you will get there.
Time can be a friend or an enemy, you choose. Enjoy the process, don’t time it.
If you found this article helpful, insightful or just plain old necessary please share and repost – it’s free and I’d gladly appreciate it. Thank you in advance.
THE IKON. 