Day 21 of the 30-Day Challenge: Creative Movement:
Task: To do miscellaneous follow-up tasks (from prior days’ goals) that are needing some attention.
Reason for Task: Quite frankly, I needed a day to do a little bit of this and a little bit of that. I have an increasing list of tasks that require some tying up of loose ends — items that I started but need continuous work or on items that I need to start. During yesterday’s challenge, I had pretty much predetermined that today would be that sort of “catch-all” day that would help me to “catch up” on some things that need to be fully completed.
I definitely planned on continuing work on day 20’s goal that was started — a special project that a blogging friend is affording me the opportunity to work on. And then, I was thinking of reviewing some courses that I’d started and need to finish up and possibly setting up my account with Anchor to get my Podcasting jam on.
But no, plans changed.
I did work on the “special project” but didn’t get to the other tasks that I had on my agenda for the day. I engaged in some pivoting action and got busy on something I didn’t have on my work radar to do during this challenge. And here’s where the best-laid plans change. I totally became an impulse goal-getter. I do believe I acted out of sheer emotion for this challenge that I took on in day 21.
Here’s what happened . . .
On day 20, I received notice from one of the executives from the school district that the schools wouldn’t need any “further product samples or marketing efforts” in regards to the summer educational program that I was so looking forward to serving. The individual, who I’d happened to correspond with in times past, was very cordial in her rejection email to me (which I truly appreciated), but it was still a rejection email.
So, reflecting on the whole experience (of months of planting Degrees of Maternity seeds in the gardens of those who had their fingers on the pulse of my lifeline to the school system) was a little deflating to my overall mood for the day.
But, as I stated in Day 17: Creative Movement 30-Day Challenge, a seed has the “possibility of producing something flourishing on down the line, when it’s planted, watered, and tended to.” So, never say never. I felt temporarily down, but not out. I just needed to regroup and get back to work.
My plans for the summer completely changed after receiving this disheartening news. I was so hoping to be busy with providing my products to this summer program. And now, that all got wiped away in the moment of an email notification.
What to do? What to do? (Well, what I’d like for you to do is keep reading. I’ll let you know how day 21 went in the “Outcome of Task” section below.)
Duration of Task: 1 day. (I’m sure I’ll have another “miscellaneous” work day in the very near future, as I continue to have those loose ends regularly dangling around these days.)
Outcome of Task: I did do miscellaneous tasks, but not all of them were tasks I had originally planned.
After feeling somewhat dejected, the high-octane emotions kicked in after the initial mourning period wore off (which lasted briefly – I can’t stay in a funk for long because there’s just too much to do) and I instantly went to work. I started looking up literacy programs in the city and began to strategize as to how to approach other local educational entities with my reading and writing wares. I started bookmarking sites and reading through their website information. And immediately, I thought of sending out my online promotional packets to the contact email addresses for these entities.
But, wait a minute! Hold up, missy!
I decided to nix that route and go for the in-person meeting option. Why? Well, there is a literary movement that’s responsible for galvanizing literacy programs throughout my city, including some of the organizations I had bookmarked and made lists of prior to today. They also provide you the opportunity to meet with a representative to get more information about the movement/organization and their role in promoting literacy efforts in the city.
Wow! I kind of feel like I hit the mother lode and I want to meet in-person. So, I’ve opted to hold off on emailing the promotional packets at this time and will look at requesting a meeting, where I can bring a physical copy of my promotional packet. By interacting with this literacy organization, I feel like I’ll be in the best position to have access to all the literacy programs that it serves. And it would appear that I now have a follow-up task for another day. One day next week, I think I’ll put in my request to have the meeting.
Okay, that helped take my mind off of the disappointment I was feeling earlier, but this wasn’t the moment of impulse I previously mentioned. Since I determined that I would hold off on talking to any further educational institutions this week, it left me feeling a little empty-handed. I had to do something to stay active and keep my mind off of not working with the school system this summer. So . . .
I created a new online store. Yes folks, you read correctly. I started a new store. It’s housed on the Teachers Pay Teachers platform. Go figure! I’ve always said that I wanted to get my products/services in the hands of those who can use them the most. And if you know anything about Teachers Pay Teachers, you know that this online marketplace for original educational materials is a perfect marriage of my offerings to those who can use them.
Not sure why I didn’t jump on this opportunity before. Probably because it’s another commitment to add to my long list of commitments. But, I did it. I set up my store and had the nerve to go ahead and get over 10 items on my store the same day. (I’ll be adding more in day 22.) How’s that for impulse goal-getting?
By the way, feel free to check out this new store of mine at:
https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Store/Degrees-Of-Maternity
Practical Application of Day 21 for Your Life: PIVOT! PIVOT! PIVOT! Don’t lay down and wallow in your disappointment when scenarios don’t play out in real life like they do in your head. If you have a goal in mind, keep striving for it in spite of the obstacles that can get in the way. (By the way, I’m not giving up on my goal of working with the school system one day. I just figure that the timing’s not right at this point, but “never say never” for the future.) And while you continue to work on that goal that’s riddled with pesky obstacles, get going on other achievements that you can strive for in the meantime. JUST KEEP GOING!
degreesofmaternity.com 