With Each Day You Get Little Bit Better.

A week may have already passed since Weapons of Mass Creation Fest 6 ended, but I’m still riding that inspiration wave and hopefully can share it with others. Therefore, this week’s tip goes out to those who have been feeling down in the dumps, who feel discouraged or even defeated. We’ve all been there. I hope that this Design Tip of the Week provides you a nugget of encouragement.

Let’s face it, there are days when we are just not our best. We feel sluggish and unmotivated, small and incapable. There are days when we’re slow, taking forever on something that does not even turn out all that great. We inevitably ask ourselves “am I even good enough?” or “will I get better?”

The answer of “you become good over time” is not always so reassuring. We’re too focused on the now, the immediately-felt insecurities. In the present when a brighter future feels uncertain, we are left with questioning “well…WHEN will I become good?” We search and search for that definitive moment of success. We are dying to hear “you made it.”

When I was facing these thoughts (and I still do), I was so fortunate that I had Aaron, a friend and co-worker at Go Media, to confide in. This article is because of him and it is his piece of advice that I wish to share with you all. This is what he told me…

With each day you get little bit better.

This may feel trivial at first, but it is a simple truth that offers so much encouragement. I will admit when I first heard him say this, it didn’t really sink in. I was too stuck in the now-ness of feeling “I suck and am no good.” Each time we would talk, he would graciously repeat, “Remember, with each day you get a little bit better.” Aaron’s insightful reminder now really hits home. We often don’t recognize the subtle growth we undergo day to day. A child has no idea if he or she is becoming taller if it weren’t for those little tick marks on the wall, each marking a new height gained month by month, year by year.

Pay attention to those tick marks. Take notice when something becomes easier for you, even if it is slightly. Seriously, set aside time to reflect on the things you’ve accomplished. Cherish those achievements and use them to propel you towards the next one. It is little by little that we become extraordinary.

Check out other articles on design insights that we have in our Go Media Zine. Get smarter, become inspired and go forth in creating masterpieces!