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Writer's pictureBen Elliott

Blog #16 - W9AD Key Principles (Part 2)

Welcome to Day 16 of the Wellbeing 9-a-Day blog! Yesterday, we considered the first two principles in The Wellbeing 9-a-Day Journal: Wellbeing is a Responsibility (Not a Right) and Start Small (Grow Big). In today’s blog, we are going to look at the next two principles: Compete Against Yourself (Not Others) and Focus on Progress (Not Perfection).



Compete Against Yourself (Not Others)


The only fair competition you will ever have is with yourself. Every other person is at different stages of their journey, with different strengths and weaknesses. That is why The Wellbeing 9-a-Day Journal encourages you to forget about other people and focus on yourself.


When starting a journey to transformed health and wellbeing, it can be easy to lose motivation by looking at the people around you. It is easy to overlook your own progress and focus on how much further ahead others are.


While competing against others is a part of life, the only way to achieve your true potential is to compete against yourself. This frees you from the limitations and expectations of others, letting you tap into your limitless potential.


When you compete against others, you can win or lose. When you compete against yourself, you can win every time. The you of today can always win against the you of yesterday, and you can keep improving without the limitations brought about by competing with others.


The aim of this journal is to empower the you of today to build upon your successes of yesterday to create bigger victories for tomorrow.


If you’re going to compete, compete against yourself, not others.


Focus on Progress (Not Perfection)


Focusing on the progress you have made is a great way to motivate yourself to keep going. Instead of shining a light on the things you haven’t done, you can use the things you have done to boost your confidence moving forward.


When you set your sights on perfection, your journey is doomed from the outset. Perfection is a myth that stops many people from achieving their goals. Even the smallest mistake can derail you or stop a project in its tracks.


To strive for perfection is to strive for the unattainable. If you allow no room for error, you guarantee that you will fail.


Continuous progress is a much more effective path to improved wellbeing. Getting a little bit better each day becomes a lot better over time. Each day, you can move the ball a little bit further forwards, until one day you look back and can no longer see where the journey began.


Making mistakes is inevitable; making progress is invaluable.


Focus on progress, not perfection.


Call to Action!


Take some time today to reflect on these two principles. Are there any tweaks that you can make to your daily W9AD goals that will help you achieve your longer term aims? Your journey with The Wellbeing 9-a-Day Journal is all about learning, both about yourself and how to build habits. By taking regular opportunities to reflect on your progress, you can improve your ability to ensure that you keep taking the right next steps on your journey.


 


This blog was written as part of a 90-day blog writing fundraiser for Live Well with Cancer, a volunteer-led charity serving North Tyneside and the surrounding areas. If you enjoyed this blog, please show your appreciation by donating to my JustGiving page. Every penny raised from donations or sales of the journal will help deliver workshops, events and support groups that empower better health and wellbeing for those affected by cancer, including family, friends, carers, and healthcare workers.

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