Wow! Love this one. It’s so true—commitment is magnetic. I guess because it speaks to a quiet self assurance…one that the committed person may not even feel! (Yet.)
I agree Isabel, when there is a sense of quiet self assurance to a person they move through the world differently. I have noticed it myself at different times and it’s interesting to be in a place of wanting to create that way of being while searching for a direction to place that energy. I think it’s about trusting the process.
Thank you so much for taking the time to comment, it’s lovely to see you here💕
This really resonated, Donna. I’m also reading Eric’s book and it’s been eye opening for me.
I am always expending effort but in too many directions. A drop or two in a bucket, here and there, will take forever to fill up. So naturally, I don’t stay the course. I have too many projects swirling around so finishing becomes overwhelming.
I need to narrow it down, consistently. Focus on this bucket, not all of them.
It's lovely to see you here Allison, I'm so glad you enjoyed the post. Eric is a wise man and I look forward to picking up his book. I love it when the simple concepts we already know are shown in a new light, sometimes even different phrasing can land in a new place within us. Here's to being intentional with our buckets!
I'm definitely a goal setter and usually when I set one...it's BIG. Usually an entire life pivot, which may or may not work out. I don't half-ass anything, whether I succeed or not.
This is one of the things that makes you uniquely you! You have audacious, over-size ideas that are amazing. I am so often boggled by how you think and wish a few of those life-molecules would float over the mountains and land on me! Keep going my friend!
Hahaha well, the downside is that none of those ideas are working for me. I just throw them into the universe and let others grab. But I am working on a couple of extracurriculars over here. They may pull me away from Substack but it is what it is! 😁
Gosh Donna what a good one. “The book” is the one gnawing at me right now. I’ve been so good all my life at setting and achieving goals, but in recent years of my new marriage and retirement I’ve been enjoying the full sense of the present moments and avoiding goals like a…well like a plague. When the momentary goal is enjoyment and simplicity I guess that can be enough?
Yes, yes, yes! I would say the ultimate goal is enjoyment and simplicity. You are constantly engaging yourself in stuff that requires brain work and you don't even realize it whereas others might have to make it a priority. The things we need to live a healthy life - movement, connection, engagement, giving back, etc. are all part of your daily routine that is so enjoyable so, really, what else is there?
It’s really inspiring that someone feels the need to revisit activities from their teenage years.
You know I’m a sports psychologist and that I work with athletes every day, from young athletes to Olympians.
There’s a fundamental rule: if you want to be an athlete and take things seriously, 90% of your time must be focused solely on being an athlete. From training to rest, what you study, what you eat, and who you spend time with—all of this is part of the whole that leads you to achieve high performance.
That’s why it’s essential to avoid major distractions. As the Portuguese maestro António Vitorino de Almeida says, “Those who play many instruments are exceptional at none.”
Society today demands that we be good at everything. I rebel against this every day: for me, it’s enough to be happy, and to do that, I have to focus on doing what I truly enjoy.
Thank you for this wonderful comment Rolando! I love the quote you shared.
I didn't know you worked with so many athletes, how fascinating. I wholeheartedly agree that we need to rebel at being good at everything and lean toward things that we find interesting and enjoyable. If we don't know what those things are then we stretch ourselves and try a few until we find what fits.
@Donna McArthur Rolando has some brilliant things to say about his work with athletes (and even Olympians)! It was a super fun podcast to record with @Rolando Andrade - so fortunate he agreed to do it. Lots of incredible tips in there. Hope you enjoy it!
3 things you need to know. A B & Z. Big goal Z, and your A to B must lead or atleast help you get closer to Z. We just need to take the next best step no matter how small, sometimes it’s just an inward shift that says I’m ok, then off to the next step. Big Z intellectual property that takes in royalties. A - B, finish a demo. Stay bright people!!! All is made well 🙏
Lovely. I had way too many goals. I’ve since streamlined my work. Simplifying is underrated. When you’re a person who has a a lot of interests and ideas it’s good to prioritize and say goodbye to a few loves. It’s ultimately empowering.
I agree Carissa. When we are interested in so many things it's easy to get distracted and end up nowhere. Not that life is about "getting" somewhere but it can be exhausting. Even here on Substack there are so many places to put our attention, all of them excellent, so we simply have to choose. A regulated nervous system is very empowering and that often comes with simplification.
Thanks for taking the time to leave such an insightful comment💕
I've had to slow down on my goals, recently, I was hitting too many of them and driving myself crazy... 😂 But seriously, I'm learning (slowly) to really appreciate the things I do accomplish, and to not necessarily race on to the next thing. There are as many lessons to be learned from our successes as our failures. There are different variations on the saying, but I heard it first from John Crowley's book "Little, Big" - "The things that make us happy make us wise." 💛
I have never heard this saying, "the things that make us happy make us wise". It makes sense, yet we often chase the opposite.
It seems that you have been hitting a lot of bit goals Troy, as well as moving toward many other that are in the works. If you wrote down all the things you've had going on it might make your eyes pop and I love that you're sharing that journey with others so they can learn about publishing and the book world from you in real time.
I'm glad you're not going to drive yourself crazy and will enjoy the slowing down. Thank you SO much for being here with me. xoxox
Wow! Love this one. It’s so true—commitment is magnetic. I guess because it speaks to a quiet self assurance…one that the committed person may not even feel! (Yet.)
I agree Isabel, when there is a sense of quiet self assurance to a person they move through the world differently. I have noticed it myself at different times and it’s interesting to be in a place of wanting to create that way of being while searching for a direction to place that energy. I think it’s about trusting the process.
Thank you so much for taking the time to comment, it’s lovely to see you here💕
A great read, Donna.
This line made me laugh out loud — “It was the seventies and eighties so no parent supervision was necessary.”
And your description of people who know and unfailingly pursue what they want was fantastic— electric is definitely the right word.
Here’s to moving in the direction of embodying that way of being :)
You would have loved the lack of supervision in those years, just as I suspect you would have loved to have been you in the sixties! xo
Yes totally! I have thought many times that the sixties would’ve been my era hehe.
Thanks Donna :)
This really resonated, Donna. I’m also reading Eric’s book and it’s been eye opening for me.
I am always expending effort but in too many directions. A drop or two in a bucket, here and there, will take forever to fill up. So naturally, I don’t stay the course. I have too many projects swirling around so finishing becomes overwhelming.
I need to narrow it down, consistently. Focus on this bucket, not all of them.
It's lovely to see you here Allison, I'm so glad you enjoyed the post. Eric is a wise man and I look forward to picking up his book. I love it when the simple concepts we already know are shown in a new light, sometimes even different phrasing can land in a new place within us. Here's to being intentional with our buckets!
I'm definitely a goal setter and usually when I set one...it's BIG. Usually an entire life pivot, which may or may not work out. I don't half-ass anything, whether I succeed or not.
This is one of the things that makes you uniquely you! You have audacious, over-size ideas that are amazing. I am so often boggled by how you think and wish a few of those life-molecules would float over the mountains and land on me! Keep going my friend!
Hahaha well, the downside is that none of those ideas are working for me. I just throw them into the universe and let others grab. But I am working on a couple of extracurriculars over here. They may pull me away from Substack but it is what it is! 😁
I look forward to hearing about the new direction!
I love this message so much ❤️
Thanks Hon!
Gosh Donna what a good one. “The book” is the one gnawing at me right now. I’ve been so good all my life at setting and achieving goals, but in recent years of my new marriage and retirement I’ve been enjoying the full sense of the present moments and avoiding goals like a…well like a plague. When the momentary goal is enjoyment and simplicity I guess that can be enough?
Yes, yes, yes! I would say the ultimate goal is enjoyment and simplicity. You are constantly engaging yourself in stuff that requires brain work and you don't even realize it whereas others might have to make it a priority. The things we need to live a healthy life - movement, connection, engagement, giving back, etc. are all part of your daily routine that is so enjoyable so, really, what else is there?
I am glad you enjoyed this piece Dee, thank you.
Thanks for your post, Donna.
It’s really inspiring that someone feels the need to revisit activities from their teenage years.
You know I’m a sports psychologist and that I work with athletes every day, from young athletes to Olympians.
There’s a fundamental rule: if you want to be an athlete and take things seriously, 90% of your time must be focused solely on being an athlete. From training to rest, what you study, what you eat, and who you spend time with—all of this is part of the whole that leads you to achieve high performance.
That’s why it’s essential to avoid major distractions. As the Portuguese maestro António Vitorino de Almeida says, “Those who play many instruments are exceptional at none.”
Society today demands that we be good at everything. I rebel against this every day: for me, it’s enough to be happy, and to do that, I have to focus on doing what I truly enjoy.
Thank you for this wonderful comment Rolando! I love the quote you shared.
I didn't know you worked with so many athletes, how fascinating. I wholeheartedly agree that we need to rebel at being good at everything and lean toward things that we find interesting and enjoyable. If we don't know what those things are then we stretch ourselves and try a few until we find what fits.
Hi. Thank you for your comment. You can listen to my interview to @Janelle Holden about this topic here
https://rolandoandrade.substack.com/p/my-interview-for-from-montana-to?utm_source=share&utm_medium=android&r=20ov80
@Donna McArthur Rolando has some brilliant things to say about his work with athletes (and even Olympians)! It was a super fun podcast to record with @Rolando Andrade - so fortunate he agreed to do it. Lots of incredible tips in there. Hope you enjoy it!
Janelle, you were an amazing host, with insightful questions and reflections. We have to get together again to do it all over again
I look forward to checking out your conversation. Thanks for posting the link here so my readers can also check it out.
3 things you need to know. A B & Z. Big goal Z, and your A to B must lead or atleast help you get closer to Z. We just need to take the next best step no matter how small, sometimes it’s just an inward shift that says I’m ok, then off to the next step. Big Z intellectual property that takes in royalties. A - B, finish a demo. Stay bright people!!! All is made well 🙏
Sending you the best vibes on your road to Big Goal Z Paolo💕
I love your salutation, "All is made well", this is a beautiful sentiment to hold close. xo
Those wings 🪽. Focus rightly my people
💕
Lovely. I had way too many goals. I’ve since streamlined my work. Simplifying is underrated. When you’re a person who has a a lot of interests and ideas it’s good to prioritize and say goodbye to a few loves. It’s ultimately empowering.
I agree Carissa. When we are interested in so many things it's easy to get distracted and end up nowhere. Not that life is about "getting" somewhere but it can be exhausting. Even here on Substack there are so many places to put our attention, all of them excellent, so we simply have to choose. A regulated nervous system is very empowering and that often comes with simplification.
Thanks for taking the time to leave such an insightful comment💕
I was never good at literal juggling. 2 oranges max. It was a prophecy.
Where is the focus lately?
Substack, novel and gift/humor book. And that my friend is plenty. About to move tho. Some of the former will have to sit in the way way back.
Exciting that you're moving and will be able to settle in and also exciting about the book!!!
Thanks for sharing, sending love, onwards to the new
Such an inspiring post - thanks, Donna! Wise words beautifully expressed. x
Thank you for such kind words Rebecca, it's lovely to see you here💕
🥰
I've had to slow down on my goals, recently, I was hitting too many of them and driving myself crazy... 😂 But seriously, I'm learning (slowly) to really appreciate the things I do accomplish, and to not necessarily race on to the next thing. There are as many lessons to be learned from our successes as our failures. There are different variations on the saying, but I heard it first from John Crowley's book "Little, Big" - "The things that make us happy make us wise." 💛
I have never heard this saying, "the things that make us happy make us wise". It makes sense, yet we often chase the opposite.
It seems that you have been hitting a lot of bit goals Troy, as well as moving toward many other that are in the works. If you wrote down all the things you've had going on it might make your eyes pop and I love that you're sharing that journey with others so they can learn about publishing and the book world from you in real time.
I'm glad you're not going to drive yourself crazy and will enjoy the slowing down. Thank you SO much for being here with me. xoxox