We become writers by writing.
We become runners by running.
We become musicians by playing music.
All of the intention in the world pales in comparison to even an ounce of practice.
…Which is an excellent place to start, I’d say: an ounce.
Then simply aim to do that much again the next day… and the day after that.
Let that be your blueprint.
Soon, you’ll be lightyears ahead of most.
And it won’t be long thereafter either that you’ll notice… you’ve suddenly become.
Every afternoon, for several year, I would read one or two pages from four different books. Three of them were a-page-a-day daily insight type books and one of them was a book I finished reading that I was uploading a quote at a time from to MoveMe Quotes.
I fell off this habit about three months ago.
Partly because of travel, partly because of work bleeding into home life, partly because of laziness. But what kept me from starting it up again for so long was mostly because of the loss of momentum—I lost my streak.
The other day, I caught myself thinking: “I can’t wait to start my daily afternoon reading habit again in the New Year.”
And it made me realize that… today is a new year. Today is as good a day to start it back up as any other day in the year. I don’t need a New Year to read three pages from three books and upload one quote to my quote website. I could do that now.
And so I did.
And it’s a reminder to me, and maybe you, that your new year starts whenever you decide it does—and today is as good a day as any to make that decision.
Do you know what’s better than cursing the litter? …Picking up even just one piece of trash.
Do you know what’s better than judging those who are out of shape? …Going on even just one walk with one of them.
Do you know what’s better than watching algorithmic content that triggers you? …Deliberately watching even just one piece of content that inspires you.
Do you know what’s better than being endlessly too busy? …Reprioritizing and making even just one block of time work in your favor.
Do you know what’s better than being a perfect role model who falls short sometimes? …Being an imperfect role model who continuously seeks improvement and shares lessons learned along the way.
Do you know what’s better than gigantic intention? …Even just one small action completed.
Over the past year and a half, a martial arts friend of mine went from one martial arts school… to four.
And it all started when he was challenged to open a second location at a mastermind meeting. When asked why he hadn’t done so already, I remember him questioning—amongst other things—whether or not his people were ready to take on that responsibility.
And one of the responses from the people in the group was… are they half ready?
To which he replied with… “Half ready?”
To which their reply was… “Yes. Half ready.”
To which he paused and waited blank faced for their more complete explanation…
The mentality offered was that you can only prepare yourself up to a certain point to do a thing without actually doing the thing—possibly only into the ballpark of around 50%.
The other 50%? …Comes from experiential learning that can only ever come as you’re doing it.
…And running into unforeseen problems, handling unexpected requests, managing variables you didn’t even see coming… and trying, failing, learning, growing, regressing, building, falling, standing, crying, laughing, mistaking, succeeding, stumbling, stepping, slipping, gripping—clawing—your way forward one day at a time.
Yeah… that’s where the other 50% can only ever come from.
Remember this when you’re questioning whether or not your ready to do that next big thing.
Ask yourself: …Am I half ready?
Being patient is a strategy that prioritizes future benefits over immediate gains. Being passive is choosing to have no strategy… and just allowing things to happen without any action on your part.
Being patient is being persistent in the face of injustice and taking action time and time again to make a change that faces a lot of resistance. Being passive is being a bystander and allowing injustice to happen.
Being patient is working day in and day out to realize a dream that requires consistent—oftentimes monotonous—work to be done. Being passive is hoping things work out without a plan.
Being patient is giving the person you like reasons to like you back—without crowding them or being annoying. Being passive is not saying anything to the person you like.
Inner Work Prompt: When it comes to the different domains in your life… are you being patient? …Or are you really just being passive?
P.s. ICYMI you can read the best of what I posted to MoveMe Quotes last week, here.
In the opening scene of the movie Up, we’re immersed in a five minute recap of the life and love shared between the two main characters of the story: Carl and Ellie Fredricksen.
If you haven’t seen it yet, it’s must watch animation. Here’s a link.
For whatever reason, this scene popped into my mind today as I was thinking about life and love and relationships (once you’ve seen it, you’ll understand) and it got me thinking about Carl and Ellie’s dynamic.
The above link doesn’t show it, but essentially Ellie comes crashing into Carl’s life when they’re kids and just lights up his world. She’s talkative, energetic, and filled with a contagious sense of adventure. Carl doesn’t talk much, is portrayed to be a little awkward, and seemingly defaults to routine and what’s comfortable.
…Inside each of us is both a “Carl” and an “Ellie,” eh?
What I got to thinking about as I replayed this dynamic is how important it is to try and nurture the “Ellie” that’s inside. Not that there’s anything wrong with the “Carl,” but waiting for an “Ellie” to come crashing into and light up your life simply isn’t a good strategy.
The one that tends to show up is simply the one we choose to feed with the nourishment of our attention and energy. There was a point in my life, for example, when I could distinctly identify as being mostly “Carl.” But, since I’ve started nourishing my inner “Ellie”… I’ve made so many new connections and experienced countless incredible adventures.
Which is all to say… being the “Ellie” who does the crashing and lighting up… my friend… is an excellent strategy.
If you look at motivation as something that happens to you… something you wait for to arrive… something like lightning that strikes when it strikes…
…Then you’re going to live with so much unrealized potential.
Motivation isn’t something you should expect to happen to you anymore than you should expect a charge to happen to your phone.
Wait for lightning to strike a charge into your phone and you’re going to live with a dead phone.
…Which is what so many of us are doing: living with dead potential.
And not because we don’t care… I think we all want to realize our potential… but, mostly because we don’t know how to activate and grow our potential.
The motivation required to do the things that help us realize our potential is something we make happen to ourselves… it’s something we actively seek out… it’s something that simply requires a (re)charge…
And rather than wait for motivation to strike:
…What else? What gets you charged up? How can you actively incorporate these ideas into your daily practice?
Stop waiting.