After waffling back and forth for weeks, I finally switched from bullet journaling in a disc-bound notebook to a bound notebook.
In case you don’t know, I’ve already done this twice before!
It’s not that I struggle with commitment; I’ll just get bored with my current planning setup and want to try something new.
Even though I love almost everything about the disc-bound system (the flexibility is my fave!), I can’t deny the way a regular notebook feels like a dear friend just waiting to hold my plans, notes, and thoughts in one convenient package.
Embarrassingly enough, I pull this switcheroo with more than just bullet journaling.
- My meal planning system changes from month to month. (You can see everything I’ve tried HERE.)
- I’m almost always reading three or more books at a time, choosing a title based on the way I feel.
- I never stick to the same productivity strategy long-term. I’ve used the Pomodoro Method, Theme Days, and am currently finding success in Time-Blocking. When one method doesn’t seem to work anymore, I’ll switch to another.
Sometimes I feel like the only constant thing about me is that I CHANGE things up!
I used to be embarrassed about this and believe that critical inner voice.
A critical inner voice would scold me and say, “You’re so flaky that you can’t even commit to the same thing longer than a few months. What is wrong with you?”
Inner critics are a real gem!
But for every flaw that critical inner voice in your head says you have, I bet you can also find a redeeming quality.
Here are some examples…
Maybe you get nervous talking in front of a large group. Have you ever considered that you care about what you have to say?
Maybe you feel like you’re too sensitive. I assure you, this world desperately needs the kindness and compassion you have.
Or maybe you think you’re too indecisive. And yet others appreciate that when you come to a decision, they know it’s one you’ve completely thought through.
That’s not to say you couldn’t or shouldn’t change some things. I’ll always advocate for self-improvement.
But we need to balance self-improvement with self-acceptance or we’ll believe nothing we ever do is right.
The Bottom Line
I might never stick with a specific system long-term, but that doesn’t mean the system doesn’t work or that I’m a fool for trying. I enjoy learning new things and experimenting. Instead of seeing this as a downside, I choose to see it as a way to guarantee I’ll never get bored.
Side note: It’s also helpful that I run a life management/organization blog so I can share what works (and what doesn’t) with you!
The choice is yours…
You can either listen to that critical inner voice and see various “flaws” as chinks in your personality armor and waste energy focusing on all the negatives, or you can redeem the parts that make you different.
I mean, Taylor Swift would have never written as many hit singles if she didn’t go through multiple relationship issues, right? 😂
But in all seriousness, your weaknesses have the potential to become your greatest strengths. You might not have picked them out personally, but they are there and they are still a part of you.
And once you give them a purpose, they won’t control you anymore.
What flaw do you struggle with?
Share one of the things you like least about yourself, but there’s a catch! You must also share a way you can view that flaw as a strength!
YOUR SELF-CARE TOOLKIT
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Genesis Sampson says
Kalyn, I totally agree with you! For every flaw we see in ourselves, it has the power to be harnessed as a strength! I also like to try a thousand different ‘systems’, but I like to see it as an experiment so that I don’t feel bad for moving on if it doesn’t work.
For my own personal flaw, I think one of my biggest is that I am hyper-aware of what other people are thinking. So much so that I can’t actually handle being around people for that long, because it tires me out to be thinking of them so much, and it makes me self-conscious. On the positive side, it usually means that I am good at making others comfortable and giving them what they need. Like you said, there’s a good thing for every criticism we have about ourselves. Thanks for the encouragement!
Kalyn Brooke says
Thanks so much for taking the time to share! It’s awesome that you know that about yourself and can find ways to overcome it–yet still see how it can be a strength.
Dawn says
This is a great post! My thing is that I’m indecisive partly because I want to research it way too much or I just think I need more time than I really do so I will just decide later. Maybe that’s a little perfectionism tendency too. What helps me is the phrase ‘better done than perfect’. I didn’t think there was a positive side to indecisiveness until I saw what you wrote. My decisions are definitely thought through! Thank you for sharing that and thank you for this post!
Kalyn Brooke says
I love that phrase too! It’s so helpful!
I’m so glad you’re starting to see the strength in what you used to think of only as a weakness. Thanks for taking the time to comment!