Have you ever had something you knew you should do but the thought of making that change seemed daunting and overwhelming? I know I’ve written about this before but I want to send along a little bit of encouragement since I’m going through a challenge myself.

Just start. It doesn’t matter when.

I’ve been through a few big changes in my life. From starting my fitness journey to prepping for a winter backpacking trip to becoming a father. There are always challenges in life and our brains always try to trick us into thinking they are too daunting or the timing isn’t right. 

How many times have you tried to start a new habit and had a slip-up midweek only to then tell yourself that you might as well wait until Monday so you can start fresh?

Now instead of one small slip you’ve given yourself an excuse to have a few more days in your old ways. 

If you have a setback while going after a goal, try accepting it right away. We’re human. We make mistakes. And then get right back on the horse and keep going. Don’t wait.

Hack your schedule to make it easier.

Is there something you are doing that you’d rather not be doing? Find a time in your schedule where you can augment your habit. 

Here’s an example. If you are trying to quit biting your nails (I’m a horrible nail biter…) and just can’t stop. Have a pack of gum or a fidget toy next to you. When your hand starts heading to your mouth, grab a piece of gum and start chewing on it. 

And another example. Are you trying to read more books but can’t find time to sit down and read? Try listening to an audio book while you do something that doesn’t require too much brain power. For me, this has been listening to books while I work out. I don’t have to use much of my brain while working out. I have sets and reps that I need to knock out and that’s it. 

Remove the thing.

If you are trying to quit a bad habit like eating too many sweets, try getting rid of the sweets. Throw out any temptations so they aren’t easy to grab. Don’t keep a little bit around just in case your cravings get so bad that you can’t handle it. This will inevitably lead to doing the thing you are trying not to do.

Okay, okay. I don’t want to sound too preachy here. But wanted to share a few quick tips that might help you kick something you’ve been trying to kick or build a new habit that you’ve been wanting to build.

You got this! 

I got this! 

We got this!

Project Updates

It was fun telling you about the projects I’m working on so I’m going to do it again. A few new ones have popped up over the last 2 weeks. 

Pinewood Derby cars for my kiddos

It’s that time of year again for my kids to compete in the Awana Grand Prix. I think most people call it Pinewood Derby, though. I could be wrong. It’s the same thing other than slight rule variations. 

Last year was my first time making one of these. When I was a kid my dad did all the hard stuff and I sanded and painted mostly. Same for my kids. It’s really a competition for the dads anyway, right? 😆

This year my daughter wanted hers to be a slice of cheese with a mouse on top and my son wanted a fighter jet. 

Challenge accepted. 

The race is a week away and it will be so much fun to see all the excitement and suspense in the faces of all the kids participating.

A new mural project!

I’ve been reaching out to local businesses to let them know about my mural and graphic design services. You can’t just sit around hoping people find you, right? 

This one business mentioned being interested in a mural towards the end of last year but wasn’t sure about it yet. They don’t own the building and the texture of the wall is intense.

One of the ideas I had for my mural offerings this year was moveable / removable murals. This was the key for them. They want to be able to take the mural with them if they ever need to change locations.

I can’t mention who it is or show you any progress quite yet because we’ve decided to keep it a secret so there can be a fun reveal when it's done. 

I’ll share more when I can.

A new mural prospect

I had a meeting with a local realtor who owns some buildings in Selma. They are interested in adding some murals to help beautify the downtown area. One of these is potentially over 2000 square feet! That’s HUGE. 

To help with some of the cost we’re going to try to petition the city to help fund some of it since it will add to the overall aesthetic of the area. We’ll see how it goes! First step is to do some quick mockups to show the city what these buildings could look like covered in artwork. It won’t be the final design since we don’t want to spend time and money on that yet. But it will be a representation to help sell them on the idea. 

We’ll see where it goes. 

A new page on my website

I’ve been working on writing content to touch on the impact and value a mural can have for a business. After a couple weeks of writing the content and feeling like it was in a good enough place, I made a new page for it. If you want to learn more about my mural offerings and what it can do for you, check it out here. If you know anyone who might be interested in my services, don’t hesitate to send them my way.

That’s it for now. I hope you have a great weekend!

Cheers,
Chris