Today’s Mandala Message: Make Small Improvements
This week I’m working through Principles #19 and #20 from Jack Canfield’s “The Success Principles” entitled “Use Feedback to Your Advantage” and “Commit to Constant and Never-Ending Improvement”, respectively. I set my intention today to ponder the idea of making small improvements. Canfield states: “Whenever you set out to improve your skills, change your behavior, or better your family life or business, beginning in small, manageable steps gives you a greater chance of long-term success. … When you start with small achievable steps you can easily master, it reinforces your belief that you can easily improve.”
In 1989, my neighbor and I began training for the L.A. Marathon. We started nine months ahead of time. Our training was slow and steady. We started running a mile or two, four to five times a week, gradually upping to 4 miles at a time. Since the marathon was going to be on a Sunday, we designated those days to gradually upping our miles until two weeks before the marathon when we ran 22 miles.
Without that training there was no way I would have been able to make it. If anything, had I trained harder/longer in the beginning I probably would have injured myself or given up because it was too daunting. In the end, I ran all but the 16th mile (I walked that one to regroup). I clocked in a time of 5:40:38. I would have run faster but it was an exceptionally warm day and I tend to overheat. Slow and steady didn’t win the race but it did help me check off an item on my bucket list.
So how about you? Do you tend to go all in on improvements? If so how did that work out for you? Is there a way you can make improvements one small step at a time?
“Progress lies
— Khalil Gibran
not in enhancing
what is,
but in advancing toward
what will be.”
Blessings,
Maureen
The Mandala Lady
All Things Mandalas
An Invitation
I invite you to color along with me this year as part of what I’m calling “The Year of Self-Exploration and Expansion” with all of my “Mandalas of the ___” (day, week, month, year). If you’re interested in more of a self-exploration approach to coloring, check out my “Coloring Mandalas as Meditation”. You can download this mandala at MandalaoftheWeek.com.
Mandala of the Day 