one day at a time
"one day at a time" has been a very powerful tool for me.
most nights, we go to bed carrying the regrets of the day. most mornings, we wake up already burdened by them. over time, those regrets accumulate into a harsh self-judgment. we start to feel like we are not measuring up to our expectations. that voice of criticism makes it harder to begin new things, and easier to sell ourselves short just to get through.
“one day at a time” has become a forceful way for me to press a mental reset each morning. all i ask of myself is simple: give my very best for this day. and all i ask of myself the next day is to give my very best for that day. that’s it. nothing else.
is it as easy as it sounds? of course not. as i move through today, the mind often drifts back to what went wrong yesterday, to what didn't finish or fell short, to the words someone spoke that stung, to the unexpected shock, sorrow, or pain that showed up.
and yet, the practice is to acknowledge those feelings and return, over and over, to just this day. to giving the very best i can to this day, to this hour, to this minute.
i have noticed interesting things happening. the more my mind drifts back to yesterday, the stronger my resolve gets to focus on today. sometimes the challenge feels so engaging and exciting, it almost empties my mind of every other thought. those fleeting moments feel so light and fulfilling!