Self-improvement is often described in terms of discipline, habits, and strength of will power. That perspective can be extremely motivating. But sometimes we need a new model. Sometimes the old model becomes tired in our endless rounds of attempts and failures. Even regular success can dull the effects of a certain way of thinking.

Here’s a new model I’m trying out:  We are artists, and our day is a work of art that we create.

Whether your preferred form of art is a piece of music, a painting, a poem or a dance, think about what it looks like, in artistic form. When you wake up, are the notes quiet or loud, or somewhere in the middle? What colors are you brushing onto your canvas as you drive to work? What happens to your poem when you call a friend? How does your dance change as you do your work?

It’s easy to feel like we’re going through the motions. Like each day is similar to the one before it and there’s little to look forward to. So don’t look forward. Don’t look beyond today.

All those days in the future will have their moment. But right now, it’s time to focus on the blank canvas in front of you. What are you going to create today? What kind of artist are you going to be today?

(I was introduced to the idea of each day as a work of art by Martha Beck on Elizabeth Gilbert’s podcast Magic Lessons, episode #208.)