“Pardon My Mess” Day: A Writing Therapy Exercise

Have you ever had one of those days where things were kind of messy? I mean . . . the kind of day where you didn’t exactly wake up with the go-getter mentality that productive days are made of?

Maybe you woke up with a heavy-heartedness that you couldn’t quite shake off from some disheartening news you found out the day before. And, you’re in a somber mood that’s affecting any real chance of you GETTING THINGS DONE in a quality sort of way.

Or, maybe you just feel like “blah,” which could be a result of lack of sleep, poor eating habits, not enough hydration from good old H2O, it getting dark outside too early, the unpleasant cold-and-dark outside mix, and little to non-existent physical activity.

Or, could you be overwhelmed and at a stalemate with what competing goals to get going on because there are too many of them and not enough time to achieve them all in the unrealistic timeframe you’ve concocted in your mind?

Quite frankly, the list of messiness can go on and on, but I’ll stop with what I’ve presented thus far. And, guess what?

If you answered “yes” to any of the above and if you can relate to any of the above, YOU . . . ARE . . . HUMAN!

And, I’m feeling the humanity in spades right now.

Now, I’m not saying that all of the preceding scenarios visited my morning routine today, but some of them did. And, that’s all right, because I’m allowed to have an occasional “messy” day. And so are you.

Messy days are those days when . . .

• Your A-game is a bit to the left.
• Your secret sauce is somewhat bland.
• Your best-laid plans have been unraveled.
• Your energy reserves have been depleted.
• Your goaling mindset wants to veg out.

Again, it’s okay. We all have these days from time to time. And, I’m not going to apologize for mine. I don’t necessarily like my messy days, but I don’t ignore them. As a matter of fact, I eventually get after them, because I refuse to let them hold me hostage. I own them and try my best to get them gone (as quickly as possible) so I can reduce the negative impressions they leave and have a more “tidy” experience with the next day coming up.

My best word of advice for you and me, whenever we find ourselves stuck in the mess of a rut we can occasionally fall into is to . . .

Take some time to RECALIBRATE!

In other words, get your mind right. As I’ve stated throughout “The Goal Mindset” blog series, the things we do come from the mindset we adopt. So, if we get our minds right, then the right actions will follow.

We just need to determine those things or activities that set our minds straight. The things or activities that get our minds in a state of balance and positivity and forward-thinkingness.

For me, writing is one of those activities that helps me to recalibrate my mental focus to where it should productively be. I could add a few other things like . . .

• reading the Bible,
• watching or listening to inspirational talks,
• listening to music that has a great hook and humanly connects through its lyrics,
• watching a truly un-educational movie just for the thrill of it, and
• spending quality time with my loved ones.

Sometimes, I just need to take a moment, or a few hours, or a day or two or more to recalibrate and get the old noggin’ in gear for all the productive-thinking activity it’s about to participate in.

And, that’s ME today. I’m in the recalibration mode. I’m just taking some time to write out this post and have a little writing therapy session with myself to get ready for the less messy days ahead. This writing exercise may be all I need to get my secret sauce sizzling again. And if not, I bet Netflix can set me straight. Hee. Hee.