Whether you work full time, have been downsized out of a job, or perform tasks that you either love to do or aren’t in the mood to complete, you can still achieve greatness every day.
The word greatness describes any task whether large, medium, or small in size or detail. Greatness implies that you are committed to completing a chosen task that adds quality to your life.
When completed, it’s done to your satisfaction and does not have to be acknowledged on television or recorded on social media.
My king-sized bed is covered with a flat sheet, fitted sheet, blanket, quilt, throw blanket, and nine pillows. I organize the bed each morning no matter what others say about why beds are not to be made.
It takes lots of effort to arrange all of it. I’m committed to freshening the space because it’s mine. It’s the one place where I have total control each day to make elegant or messy, and I prefer the former.
At day’s end I pull back the blanket and quilt and enter a world of comfort and calm. It’s truly a joy.
There is something in your life that belongs only to you. It’s under your complete control, yours to operate in whatever way you wish. Whether it’s your bed, closet, home, office, or a fish bowl, treat it with the love, patience, and beauty that you and it deserve. Without you, it would not exist.
Over the years this is how I’ve felt about and treated animals, clothing, and other items in my care. It’s not that possessions come before people; it’s the fact that in my world I am in charge and treat that charge seriously.
Here’s the problem: all of the duties in the greatness category are overwhelming. There is so much to accomplish. Sometimes you want to walk away because one thing becomes two and two becomes four. You get it because you’re living it right now.
Here’s the answer: write down the priorities while realizing that it’s manageable by taking small steps. If something’s not yet done, it can probably wait until a more-pressing priority is completed. You are not an octopus, and even that creature knows its limitations.
Each evening, after work and dinner, I look at my list to see if there’s anything I can complete. It might not be easy, but if I have all of the tools and enough strength, one more thing will be done. Items on my current list include:
- Sealing cracks and spaces between the shower tiles
- Re-stuffing the arms on the pets’ favorite sofa
- Watching for low fares to visit Chicago next week
- Making an appointment for my mom’s car maintenance
Only one of these tasks is not in my control. The rest are achievable one at a time.
I’m betting that you do great things every day but may not recognize it as great because it wasn’t huge, life altering, or something similarly gigantic. If your world did not fall apart, pat yourself on the back and know that you reached greatness whether or not you think it happened.
Start documenting one thing you did well each day. In 30 days, you will be astonished by your own greatness. Bravo!
