#546 The easiest path to where you want to go

ByLukas

The easiest path is to miss all days – you never get going in the first place so you don’t know what you’re missing.

The second easiest is to never miss a day – you’ll get where you want to go with little detours, even if you pay the cost of discipline.

The hardest (and most common) path is to miss a couple of days here and there – now you run the risk of getting lost.

We all miss a day sometimes – so we all get a little lost once in a while.

So what do we do?

We remind ourselves why we got started.

We remind ourselves where we’re going.

We remind ourselves that we’ve been lost before – and that we can always get back on track.

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    #19 The first time feels funny, the fiftieth time you fly

    ByLukas

    In a podcast segment about practicing Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu,Tim Ferris and Joshua Waitzkin discuss a principle for managing expectations they call:

    “The first rep doesn’t count.”

    Tim Ferris, Josh Waitzkin: https://tim.blog/wp-content/uploads/2018/08/148-josh-waitzkin.pdf

    In other words: when performing a move for the first time, your body and mind need to get used to it. Gradually,you’ll get better – and the more aware you are of your body, the faster you’ll make progress – but judging someone on their first attempt doesn’t say much about their future potential.

    This holds true for many skills in life, like starting a daily publishing habit.

    Publishing a post or a video for the first time always feels funny (and often frightening). At this stage, judgment or feedback is futile. It’s all about jumping the hurdle of getting started

    Publish five times, you’re ready to get some feedback (both from yourself and from others)…

    Publish for the fiftieth time, and you’re well on your way to turn it into a habit… and fly.

    So whenever I start something new, I manage my expectations by repeating to myself:

    The first time feels funny. The fiftieth time I fly.

    And for bonus points: What would it feel like the 500th time?

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    #140 I don’t have to be good at this today.

    ByLukas

    Trying to become good fast makes you impatient. And impatience may well stop you from ever becoming good in the first place.

    Because the only way to become good is by understanding that in today’s practice session, you likely won’t be perfect anyway.

    That you likely won’t write your most insightful words.

    That you likely won’t run an all-time best.

    That you’ll likely spend a large part of your yoga session stumbling and losing balance.

    When you go into your practice session with that mindset…

    Suddenly it makes sense to focus hard on getting that one sentence right.

    Now it makes sense to focus on rhythmic breathing while running instead of pushing for a better time.

    Now it makes sense to focus on a tiny part of your body during an entire yoga session to train your awareness instead of trying to chase poses because “they look professional.”

    Even if there is not much time to “become good,” it still makes sense to assume there is time.

    Because that gives you the freedom to focus on the small adjustments that prepare you for when the time comes, and you truly need to perform.

    Since I’m always practicing anyway, I don’t have to be good at this today.

  • #201 Nothing will be perfect

    ByLukas

    What would you finally dare to do today
    if you knew whatever you try will never be perfect anyway?

    Publish a story with typos and awkward sentences?
    Run a marathon without finishing it?
    Play a guitar piece and trip up five times?
    Sing in front of other people and miss a note?
    Try a new yoga pose in class and fall over?

    Nothing will be perfect today.
    Nothing will be perfect tomorrow.

    But if you take imperfect action
    and dare to publish imperfect work
    everything you do will have the perfect taste of progress and consistency.

    And that’s all that counts anyway.

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