Thursday, October 18, 2012

Think (Pray), Do and THEN structure.


This for me, is the magic formula! Once an idea comes I need to think about it/ pray about it/ assess my feelings and then act upon it...the structure (habit-virtue) will follow after the "acting upon it". In order to turn good behaviour into habits and then hopefully into virtues, this is the formula for ME.

And where am I getting all of this? I learned this rubric today at a business lunch of all places! I learned that once we discover our own personal formula, it will almost always work in moving us forward in progress. Discouragement and disillusionment comes, I think, when we are working in ways that are more appealing to us BUT not necessarily efficient (in line with our personalities).

This idea to which I was subjected over lunch has really taken root in me! I now see it at play everywhere I look. No two saints in the Church attained sanctity in the same way, yet they all got there with the personalities (tendencies, weaknesses, strengths) that they had been naturally given.

So where do you fit in? How do you approach projects? There are three components to consider (obviously these are loose concepts and no two people are the same in the degree to which they adhere to certain formulas of action). But, here are the three components:

-Perception : our ideas, feelings, urges, inspirations, judgements
-Behaviour: actually doing it! (Carrying out an action, project)
-Structure: the lay-out of a project, the organization of our physical surroundings, scheduling, timing

The order in which I've listed the above is the order in which I approach things. I'm forever getting hung up on "structure" if I start with that one. I would never get anything done (believe me, I know!) But, conversely, if I start with an idea that brings me life- I take it and pray about it, think about it, examine my feelings, approve it in my spirit then I do it. The scheduling/ structure then flows naturally from that.

What about you? When you are faced with a problem do you dig right in and start moving things around (jump right in?) and then learn/ discern as you go? If so, that would mean that you put behaviour first. Or, do you schedule first and that puts things into motion for you? Put the three in YOUR order and try to stick to that order. It's a formula not necessarily for success everytime but it will certainly (I'm told AND I've experienced) keep discouragement and disillusionment at bay.

So, think about a concrete example in your life where you succeeded with a project/ relationship/ a task.
Got one?
Now think about the three components I've listed. What was the order in which you approached the task at hand which then led to success?

This was an interesting dose of reality for me today! I feel like I've unlocked a secret in myself and it will be seriously helpful in my relationship with my husband, with God and at the onset of new personal goals and projects.

WOW!

Example: each one of my blog posts begins with an idea. BUT my mistake has been trying to schedule time and the aesthetics of the blog first. Usually, when I do this, I put off writing! But, if I think about an idea and I harvest it until the point it gets bigger than my head can contain, it has no choice but to spill over onto the page (screen). Then, the schedule/ structure takes care of itself.

I've learned a lot over a bowl of butternut squash soup today. Each person is an island unto themselves! I've always celebrated that, but today I do so a little more intensely. Find your groove (not the one you wish you had) and let your life flow out of it.


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