You may or may not have noticed that I haven’t posted as frequently recently. There are a couple of reasons for this. Firstly, we’ve transferred Frugal Baby to a toddler bed and it isn’t going well. He absolutely loves it – we’ve got him this bedding set as he loves anything with wheels – but getting him to sleep in it? Another story. He hasn’t gone to sleep before 10PM any night this week so far. He has woken up multiple times during the night too, and then has taken quite a while to go back to sleep. Fun!
Secondly, and I hinted this at my post last week, is that I am lacking my blogging mojo at the moment. I don’t know whether it’s the summer or the lack of sleep playing a part, but I’m just not feeling it, you know? It also doesn’t help that we have had a couple of expensive months lately and so my savings aren’t where they should be. I keep feeling that I’m writing about early retirement, but I’m not doing as well as I could be.
It keeps coming back to success. And just what is success, anyway?
I think society defines success as something very specific. You do well at school, get a good job, make lots of money, retire at 65 and then done. You’re a success!
However, what about all the little successes along the way? Things like getting up, dressed and sorted before 9am. It’s taking the time out when you need it. It’s the cuddles and loving moments you have from others. It’s making a cake and enjoying it. It’s going out for lunch and having fun.
Aren’t all these things successes, really? After all, there seems little point in success if it doesn’t make you happy along the way. There is no point in achieving big things if, deep down, they don’t contribute to your own happiness.
Again, comparing yourself to others isn’t helping. We are all at different parts of the journey. Some are further along than others. Success means different things to different people too. Whatever defines success for you is success. No matter what other people think.
I love setting goals to ensure that I make the best use of time. That I achieve things. No matter how small. Things like NSDs, saving goals, personal goals. Little successes along the way. My July aims are just that, goals to achieve throughout the month. If I meet them all, then surely I’m a success? But, if I don’t meet them all does that mean I’ve failed? I used to think so, but of course not. I’m still trying my best.
I think that we are all successful, in our own ways. Whether that’s through home life, jobs, side hustles or anything else. Hobbies, giving back, helping others. It’s all success!
What little successes have you been celebrating lately?
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Hmm about my only successes have been starting to arrange (potentially) Exercise on Prescription, oh and today I made a phone call! As I get panic attacks on the phone (unless I really know the person well) I was rather pleased with that 😀
Not much in the grand scheme of things though 🙁
I hate talking on the phone too, so I’d be pleased with that! Little things are just as important 🙂
This was an excellent read for me today – I have been very hard on myself the past couple of weeks. Seems I can’t complete anything to my satisfaction so then I fret about it….need to celebrate what I have finished instead of concentrating on what still needs to be done. Thanks!
Exactly – on days where everything seems difficult, even little things such as getting up, dressed and breakfasted can be a success 🙂
Some days success means getting everything on the list done, some days success means making sure that the family has something to eat for supper 🙂
We are on a debt reduction journey here and this month although the overall amount went down, the consumer debt portion went up by about $600. I could choose to see it as a failure but instead I choose to see it as a small success that the overall debt, because of the mortgage went down. There were several factors that contributed to the uptick in the credit cards, mostly timing of payments and the fact that our income decreased this month. A year or so ago, before I discovered the amazing financial blogger world, I would have beat myself up, now not so much 🙂
I hope you get your blogging mojo back soon, I really enjoy your blog.
Thank you for saying you enjoy my blog 🙂 and yes, some months in terms of finances are always going to be more difficult. However, the fact that your mortgage went down is a definite positive!
I count among my successes the achievement of all the tasks on my to-do list (it always takes longer, but the success is in completing it!).
This month however, my greatest success was my Son thanking me for making him put money into another account so that he has budgeted for the forthcoming commitments he has.
I have also been working with him on his portfolio in his S&S ISA – and some of that is because of you, Nicola, and your portfolio. He (with me) has bought his first ordinary shares, to go with his funds that we set it up with. Thank you for that – I consider it one of your successes with your blog. I would be interested in hearing more about how you decide which new shares to invest in. So thank you!
That’s so good to hear about your son and that he’s started on his journey. I’m glad someone finds what I write useful! I keep meaning to do a post about how I decide on which shares to invest it – not that I’m an expert 🙂
I’m a firm believer of celebrating the little successes too. Also, when I don’t meet all of my aims for the month I don’t see myself as a failure, just that I need to address why I didn’t achieve something I probably thought was easily achievable.
Reflecting on why sometime didn’t go to plan is a great habit to have.
I have lost my mojo too the last couple of weeks. Life is busy and stressful and I lost my little old cat, who was 17. It is easy to be discouraged, isn’t it? But I find sleep, yoga and forcing myself to make a bit of time where I am not doing jobs tends to bring it back. You are probably just tired. And I totally agree with you – we have a very narrow view of success. We need to celebrate more of our small victories!!
Jane
I’m sorry to hear about your cat 🙁 and it definitely is easy to become discouraged. Especially when you read about other people’s lives on social media and they seem so sparkly? We definitely need to celebrate the small things 🙂
I’m on my journey of the ‘to do list’. I’m busy writing it that I haven’t actually done any of it……..as things in the world have moved on. I need to start to find where they have gone. To me it just seems like hard work. I suppose I think 🤔 I’ve also lost some of my mojo.
I just need to get up & do it
It is hard at times – just take things one day at a time 🙂