New here and wondering what’s going on? Busy Mom VS Daily Grind is all about making the dedication to do something every day that will help you live a happier, more fulfilling life. I have committed to document my journey of developing the habits of living moment by moment, being grateful, and bringing self expression + creativity into every day. Read more about the challenge HERE.
Taking on this 30 day challenge was an amazing experience. It took all of my strength, energy, and dedication to keep at it, but I survived! And not only have I developed the habits of being present, relishing the happy moments, and bringing creativity into every day; but I have also learned a lot about myself, about creating habits, and about creativity in general.
Some things I’ve learned along the way:
- When doing a blog challenge, you should have some money squirrelled away, or a backup source of income if you work from home. Blogging everyday took up all my energy, and I had none left to focus on my business and keep my income flowing!
- Trying to develop more than one habit at a time doesn’t work very well. Developing a new habit takes a lot of work. It would be much easier (and I’m sure more successful) if you focus on one habit at a time.
- You don’t need to be “in the moment” for every moment of your life. Your body and mind go on auto pilot sometimes for a reason. The trick is to be able to snap back into being present during those important moments, such as when you’re with people you love or experiencing something new.
- Happy moments are too easily forgotten. Our minds our wired to remember bad experiences more easily as a part of our survival instincts. So in order to lead a happier life, you need to compensate for this by focusing more intently on the good that is around you.
- Research doesn’t make you an expert; experiencing it for yourself does. I have been following the world of collage and art journaling for years now, and having all this knowledge on the subject and images in my head from other artists makes me feel like I’ve been doing it myself for years. So when I finally had the courage to start my own journal, I expected something amazing to come out of it. But it didn’t happen. Because in reality, I’m a complete novice; and what I really needed to do was start at the beginning.
- It’s never wise to focus on the outcome of creativity. It only creates stress. You need to focus on relaxing, having fun, and playing with your creativity.
- Having a daily creative habit doesn’t mean you have to make something everyday. Small things like going for a walk, taking photos, or doodling on a napkin can be ways to exercise your creative side.
- Waiting until the end of the day to do something creative (or work on any habit) is torturous. It makes you feel pressured, and then you don’t want to do it. Having a plan on how to tackle it during the day is much less stressful and more enjoyable.
- Having someone to cheer you on while you’re trying to develop a new habit is very helpful, if not essential. Without the support of my friends, family, and all of you, I’m not sure I would have made it this far!
I’ve always believed that having a daily creative habit helps you live a happier, more fulfilling life. But now that I’m actually experiencing it for myself, I am amazed at how it has been transforming my life. I’m living with more clarity, experiencing inspiration all around me, discovering my true inner feelings easier, and living with less stress.
I want to thank all of you who have supported me through this journey. I couldn’t have done it without you! :)
If you’ve missed part or all of my 30 day journey,
here are some highlights:
Day 1 – A rocky beginning, and learning about how our minds remember the negative experiences more easily than the good.
Day 3 – Scrappy Tags Tutorial!
Day 5 – Finding the key to fighting the daily grind.
Day 8 – Stressful beginner’s syndrome
Day 9 – Winning a losing battle – “staying in the moment”
Day 10 – Kids Keepsake Magnets Tutorial!
Day 17 – A shared story, my first time on a paddle board
Day 21 – A complete failure, when it all turns around
Day 27 – My advice to budding artists
Has any part of my journey really inspired you? Leave me a comment below, I’d love to hear from you!
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Hey Kristal! You are an incredible inspiration sharing your 30-Day-Challenge’s ups AND downs! Reading the lessons you’ve learned along the way is really comforting – thanks for reminding me it’s okay to NOT be perfect and succeed every time you try something!:)
Thank you so much Pauline! And yes, most definitely, nothing has to be perfect; especially when you are just starting out with something. It takes a while to get your results to match up to what you see in your imagination. You just have to keep at it!
Dear Kristal, yesterday I received your tags, they are so lovely, thank you! I think it will be hard to give them away to decorate little gifts, lol, perhaps I will just keep them in my little box of ‘the things I cannot do without’. Your journey has been inspiring….too many times we forget to really think about things and when we do somehow it gets easier.
Big hug,
Fulvia
Aw I’m so happy to hear you are enjoying the tags Fulvia! I agree, having clarity in life really helps you get through the tough spots. Sometimes, all we need is to pay attention to what’s really going on.