Taking things one day at a time

What does it mean to take it one day at a time?

Most people, like me, are probably unhappy with their situation. Unhappy with their routine, their weight, they're whatever xyz. We all have problems. We are all suffering. How about we take it one day at a time?

When I say one day at a time, I mean picking up something small and trying to make a change. It is these small marginal changes that will help one to make big huge changes in life. When I have to change something, I make up this whole big to-do list of heavy tasks the night before and when it comes to doing them, I quit easily because so many things at once is overwhelming.

So what I did today was, put up the smallest things on my to-do list. Small things like, cleaning my table, reading 20 pages, taking a bath. These are some of the things I have been avoiding for the past few days. When I woke up today, I wasn’t overwhelmed with these tasks. By 3 p.m, I had finished the small things I was supposed to do. I was ready to add a few more things. The only thing in mind was not to add anything that will overwhelm me. I know those things have to be done but it is essential to start small and then taking the bar up slowly.

I used to be this person who could study 10-11 hours a day without any complaints. My day would go smoothly. I've lost that in recent times due to personal issues and I have not even been doing 1-2 hours a day. The added up guilt along with overthinking is not a good combination. now if I have to start over, I cannot start directly at 10. If I put down on my list “study for 10 hours”, I would probably get demotivated at the sight of it and not do 1 or even half an hour. What I am trying to get at is starting with 1 hour, then 2 and so on.

Taking it one day at a time, making it one task at a time, taking only how much you can handle. At the end of the day, it only matters if you are happy and satisfied with yourself. You don’t need external validation or third party motivation. Because in the end, you only have yourself.