Do the thing to be the thing

As I sit down to write today, I’m honestly not sure what’s going to appear on the screen. But there’s one thing that I know. I know I can’t be a writer unless I write. I can’t be a coach unless I indeed coach.

We can’t be the things unless we do the things.

So it is true with all aspirations in life. We don’t become fit unless we eat right and exercise. We don’t become wise beings unless we take moments to pause and reflect. We don’t raise strong, emotionally resilient, and empathetic children unless we become parents who make the time and effort to provide experiences and examples of what that even looks like.

We must do the things. And those “things” in large part are our habits. As I mentioned earlier, I truly had no idea what I was going to write about today. I just knew I  needed to practice whether I actually posted or not. I was disassociated from the outcome. Worse case scenario was that it would be completely lackluster and incoherent. And maybe in fact that is indeed what it is. But I practiced. And the fact that I practiced makes me that much more prepared for the next piece I throw out to the universe.

Not only did I disassociate from the outcome, but I also made my barrier to entry really low. All that I demanded of myself today was that I sit down and start typing. It’s similar to other commitments I’ve made with fitness over the years. “Just do 10 minutes of your workout. If you want to stop after 10 minutes, stop.” I’ve never quit after 10 minutes (but I’ve often stopped at 20). The first step is most often the most difficult. It creates that momentum to get us in a rhythm and a flow.

So two points today…

1. Disassociate from the outcome. Put points on the board for practice instead.

2. Make a low barrier of entry. Let’s call it the 10-minute rule. No new habit should require more than 10 minutes to adopt. Exercise 10 minutes. Read 10 minutes. Meditate 10 minutes. Similarly, want a bite of that delectable sumpin sumpin? Step away 10 minutes. Want to react more patiently to your children? Walk away 10 minutes. And yes, just like exercise, you may decide to stay for 20 :).