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Tip #14 - what is your meaningful action today?

This post is part of a series I’m writing from mid-June to mid-November 2024, on things that helped me rebuild my confidence, sense of self, and increased my delight in my life after massive difficulty in multiple areas. For full details and post links to all 110 things, go to this post here.

Honestly that’s like some of my fav advice.

It’s from a silly 80’s movie I actually really love, in which my dream car features nicely. This advice for our poor hero, Lane Meyer, it applies. The way out of anxiety, doubt, self loathing, low confidence, etc… (or at least some of it) is action.

When you’ve got a drive to get something, to accomplish and build then what much else is there? Go forwards with relentless intention and be willing and prepared to pivot when needed. Ok cool ttyl - jk. Here’s todays actual advice/action assignment that helped me.

Tip 14 – what is your meaningful action today?

This is a pretty straightforward one and requires, truly, to get off your ass and accomplish something.

See that to-do list that you keep writing and the things that tumble from one day to the next for a lot longer than they really need to?

The things that will actually clear your path ahead in a real way, that will actually pull you a step closer to what you want and what you’re working on?

That’s meaningful action.

Action that moves you forwards and aligns with your intentions for your life.

What we’re after, always, is making use of our time in meaningful ways. Meaningful action is just how that gets done.

Meaningful action is different for everyone.

The task of meaningful action for my friends is not what’s going to work for me, and of course the same applies if they were to do my stuff, it just is personal what the meaningful is to you and is based on your goals.

It’s okay if you don’t fully know your goals yet but…let me call ya out real quick, I think by now whoever and wherever you are you’re starting to figure out a direction, of some kind to some degree.

And let me whisper shout the following at you too -

IF YOU STILL GOTTA FIGURE OUT THAT DIRECTION, LET’S MAKE FIGURING THAT OUT THE MEANINGFUL ACTION FOR THE DAY! Woot.

You can do it. You can work on it.

For a small example - yesterday, I needed to make some appointments – so I made phone calls on my lunch. This means those things are done and sorted and now just need to be attended when the time comes. Now I can plan my week better because that stuff is done with and those appointments help me keep my promises, help me take care of myself and my family in intentional ways.

Meaningful action in a couple phone calls.

I’d invite you to consider writing down or framing your day’s task lists by including the things that will get you moved along in whatever your path and desires are.

We all have admin nonsense to do, like my phone calls, and those can be (depending on how things are for me internally) either/both a to do task of admin level, and a meaningful action.

Yesterday it was getting an oil change and making time to write, feeding my body good things and spending time with a good good friend. Those things advanced my progress in meaningful ways.

I was putting off the oil change and irrationally afraid that the next time I went to drive, the car would explode or curse me out because it had said “oil change needed soon” and even escalated to “oil change required” and what’s next? “oil change now, bitch, I really really mean it” – so I did that and now I’m not worried when I get in the car anymore and am not going to wait so long next time.

Let’s get a little deeper.

What this actually looks like beyond the admin type tasks.

Meaningful actions for me right now are also – in addition to the phone calls (which I used to dread with a terrible anxiety) – I am scheduling this post before I go to bed, even though I just got back from picking up my kid from the airport, and even thought I am quite tired.

That action is helping me continue to grow this body of work, it’s helping me make sure my writing is in practice and ultimately improving (fingers crossed), and it’s helping me practice the discipline I need to strengthen in my character.

I need to make steps on two editing/critiquing side projects I have going that will get me closer to completing them on time. Specifically that looks like work on a word document and giving specific notes of feedback. That is helping me manage my time and start building up some freelance opportunities properly.

Yes, these are “work” things, but it is meaningful work to me that I want to do well. Doing it well gets me closer to what I want from my life.

I also need to, in order to make meaningful action on more projects nobody but me has decided to give myself but of which I am genuinely eager to work on (a good sign), I need to write out what to say for something, specifically, and to ensure that it makes sense.

I need to name something, and I need to order non toxic spider spray so that my home will stay free of invasion. These are some basic things but they’re little bumps I’m sometimes stuck on and need to be decisive about instead of rewriting them every day all week on my list.

What is my meaningful action today??

It’s a simple question really, and I have found that it helps clarify pretty immediately what I need to get done that will make a difference in stepping forwards with intention.

I cringe at the phrase “move the needle” but it does apply.

What are the things that will make a difference for your progress? For your projects?

The busy work is endless and always refilling, and some of it is unavoidable sure, but you are an adult in charge of your life to the degree that you are, so meaningful action is within your reach too.

If you need to spend time thinking through how to respond to someone who has crossed a boundary of yours, if you need to make sure you save time for a walk for your health, or to make it a point to research a new idea, to send someone a note of gratitude, to look into a program you want to participate in – or sign up for it - do it.

Meaningful action is anything that will get you closer to your best self, best life, the things you want to improve, that can be done today.

Could be as simple as choosing to start listening to a self growth audiobook instead of something more juicy/entertaining. Still of value, but the self growth might help deal with the things you need to think about (THIS COMMENT IS ABOUT ME AND MY LISTENING CHOICES AT WORK YESTERDAY - tysm).

It can feel daunting - especially if you’ve got big plans for your life, and especially if you’re still new to this stuff, but it should also be a little invigorating.

Action towards the dreams you’ve got is good shit.

You’re clearing that path so you can see it better, and future you can walk it sooner.

Thus leading you hand in hand with all the versions of your selves into the life you want to and can build.

It’s part of a thing I really like that is also very cliché – if nothing changes nothing changes. But nothing massive needs to happen to cause a change that lends a massive result either, does it.

Good change can be bit by bit also.

Only takes one grain of sand to ruin a bit of ice cream doesn’t it.

If you need some motivation, here’s one of my favorite bits - makes me feel ready to punch out my own indecisiveness and believe in my badass self and get tf to work on being “an active participant in my own becoming” (that is from a conversation between Ross Gay and Hanif Abdurraqib about taking ownership of your life’s creation. Love both those dudes. Read them).

Onwards, with intention, we go.

xx-Marian