To be kind to yourself and jump for joy because it is JJJJuly! We’ve clipped the cusp of the half-year mark, and what an achievement!

The important thing to remember is to focus on the good.  All of your ideas, your attempts, your starts, the done-&-dusted, the discarded – neglected, and everything else in between.  They all deserve a loving mention.

Then…just get on with it!  Up the focus, up the action, up the excitement.

And here are some ways to do just that:

ONE: Re-visit your Personal Mission Statement and Vision Book.

If you’re one of The Dedicated™, then you’re most likely looking at and living inside these babies – achieving like mad.  Good on you – I can feel your vibes of inspiration!

If you’re more likely to be on Team Procrastination™, don’t worry, this is for you and me! lol

As you know I am fickle as all fudge, so even a minute after I wrote my initial personal mission statement, it changed!  hahaha But that’s super fine, as the beauty of your personal mission statement is that it’s yours, and yours to change, tweak and do whatever feels right for the moment.  How’s that for fickle and fab?!

I’ve not been looking at mine as much – in fact it’s been a while! But just re-visiting it now has made me realise that even so, I am living by it!  Phew, such a relief – I was getting a bit worried that all was lost.  BUT – and yes it deserves caps – this proves the significance of your PMS.  Setting this personal intention really sets the tone of your travel for the year.

My Vision Book has suffered the same fate!  Do you sense a theme?!  Oh, we humans are an interesting bunch!  Upon inception, it screamed at me “You have to make me perfect, just purrrrfect!”  Pressure much?!  And so, in the quest for perfection, we get nowhere or at the very least, move an inch – achingly sloooowly.

Oh, it lives, but it still doesn’t feel….well perfect!

Resolution?  Keep.it.simple.Liesl.damnit!  If the skill set is just short (oh, Lordy, we’re talking Grand Canyon-chasm!) of producing a catalogue-slash-magazine quality VB, then kick it with your Scrapbooking skills instead. And that ladies and gents, is exactly what I did, and had so much fun in the process!

TWO: Use what you have.

You’re likely to have a stash of magazines (or newspapers!) chilling in a corner.  Use those for your cut-&-paste party avec le Vision Book.  There’s bound to be a notebook/notepad/stack of paper in a drawer or in your study (kids’ room is allowed as the last resort!).  Don’t be tempted to go out and source (read, buy!) new “material” for your project.  Use what you have.  Seek out what’s around you and get creative.  As you can see, I went to my Grazia with zeal – I read it and then promptly transformed it! Hello recycling with a twist

Apply this to other areas of your life too – from the kitchen to your wardrobe.  Don’t have the latest gadget?  Improvise! Borrow if you must, but don’t let it stop you from experimenting with home-made hummus!  Impending party?  See your closet with new eyes!  Mix  and re-mix.  Try something different.  And remember your accessories – they can very easily add oomph to your ensemble!

THREE: Get in step with serendipity.

When something happens, run with it.

I accidentally started photo-a-day.  On June 1st I posted to Instagram, a pic depicting my morning, only to discover that it was the start of June’s photo-a-day challenge with “morning” the prompt for day one.  And just like that I said “I do” “I will” “I’m in!”  It was not anticipated and definitely not planned, but I decided to do it…for fun.

It was exciting seeking out photo opportunities each day, and even more challenging when I wasn’t out somewhere, spoilt with a bursting image-banquet!  Sometimes, I was on-theme like being “out-&-about” — easy!  Other times, there was no “friend” around so I had to really think, and turn a traditional take into something a bit more creative!  All in all, I went with whatever the day had to offer, and I stayed on course. Do you spy a metaphor emerging?!  (well of course you do, you’re in LieslLanguageLand after all! lol)

What I hadn’t realised when I started this wee project, was that I had indeed made a commitment!  Subconsciously I must have known, because I had a steely determination to get my pic up everyday!  It was exciting because it was new.  It was fun all round – sometimes easy-peasy and other times I really had to think about my interpretation!  But there was no way I was going to give up this gig!  It really cranked up the CreativeCurve, which in my books is always welcome.  And it certainly UPPED the Commitment Metre!

In short, the photo-a-day challenge was the perfect practice for commitment!  Doing something as seemingly frivolous as this (amongst the myriad of other daily stuff that need doing!) further exercised my commitment muscle.  And it is as simple as that!   Commitment doesn’t have to be BIG and scary.  It can be minute, and just as fulfilling – that fantastic feeling of accomplishment.  Ahhh….serendipity serves up great things!

FOUR: Hustle some Happy!

Today I bought myself some blooms – purple, closed-bud tulips to be exact.  They were $10, and from my local supermarket.  It was spur-of-the-moment, but I pictured this beautiful bunch taking pride of place on my desk while I worked today, and I was immediately filled with Happy!  In fact right now, each time I pause in between writing,  I get to look at them and take in their loveliness.  They’re living, they’re beautiful, they’re inspiring, and they are my Hustle-Happy for the day!

Yours could be a piping hot pot of tea to savour while you work. Or  you could simply make it your mission today to make eye-contact and smile at every person you pass on your way to grab lunch or on your walk home.

Hustle some Happy for yourself or someone else – just keep hustlin’, it’s good for the heart, and YOUR DAY!

PS: When was the last time you dared yourself…to do something, anything?!  Wink xx