#37 The time you’re living anyway

All in on getting fluent in a foreign language?
That’s a 6-12 month game, at the minimum.

All in on learning an instrument?
Count on a multi-year (or multi-decade) game.

All-in on getting in shape?
That’s a life-long game.

This is not a poker game. You’re not trying to impress anyone. There are no opponents to deter. Not everything hinges on one big moment where you can win or lose it all.

You’re not only all in the moment you decide you’re all-in. You’re all in for the entire journey. That means: making your efforts, resources, and motivation last.

All in means preparing for the long game.

Choosing small daily habits over grand gestures.

Choosing consistency over completion.

Accepting that whatever you go all in on will inevitably change your identity.

Now you’re all in on life, and who you aspire to be.

You don’t have to become a writer. But you could. Even if you don’t believe it yet.

And if knowing that you could makes you restless…

If the fact that it’s possible makes the hairs on the back of your neck stand up…

If a persistent “What if” keeps echoing through your mind…

Then maybe you should become a writer.

Similarly, you don’t have to be passionate about anything. But you could.

And if you could… what would you be passionate about?

Goals make you write every day and enjoy the process, even if you’ll never publish a book.

Goals make you practice yoga and get to know your body, even if you’ll never be able to be in that ultimate pose.

Goals makes you help someone and learn to give and contribute, even if your help ultimately doesn’t get them to the place they wanted to go.

Goals don’t predict outcomes. Because the purpose of a goal is not to achieve it, but to set the direction of your life.

It gives you the fuel to start taking action, and the guidance to make sure that action is intentional.

I don’t know about you, my friend, but to me, that’s a fulfilling thought.

I could consider myself a writer if I write 20,000 words a day – and I would be right.

Or I could consider myself a writer if I write one sentence a day – and I would be right.

I could consider myself a writer if I’ve written a book – and I would be right.

Or I could consider myself a writer the moment I’ve decided I’m going to be a writer – and I would be right.

I could consider myself a writer if I’ve built up enough self-trust and taken enough daily actions that prove that I genuinely care about being a writer – and I would be right.

Whether you’re aware of them or not, you’re using subjective measuring sticks for everything, usually determined by upbringing, culture, and societal pressure.

But nothing stops you from consciously choosing your measuring sticks (depending on your goals, you could make them easier or more challenging) and setting yourself up for more fulfillment and success.

Here are some questions that can help:

When you say you want to be {successful, happy, fulfilled, fit, wealthy}…

How do you know you’re reaching your goal?

Is it an achievement?

A material possession?

A feeling?

An action you take?

A decision you make?

Choose wisely.