#536 Today the doing could start

Your best writing can only happen when you’re writing.

Your running PR can only happen when you’re running.

And your most cherished moments with friends can only happen when you’re with your friends.

You can try to time life.

But the only foolproof way to live your best moments do is by showing up in the moment.

Day 150: I started a podcast

First, I focused on becoming good at publishing my writing every day.

Then, I started focusing on getting better at writing—a never-ending story.

Now, 150 days later, the cycle starts over.

First, I focus on becoming good at publishing a podcast every day, narrating the daily insights from the newsletter.

And soon, I’ll start getting better at narrating the daily insights—a never-ending story.

You can do me a massive favor by subscribing to the podcast on your favorite podcast app, leaving a 5-star rating, and sharing the podcast with anyone who may find these daily reminders helpful.

The podcast schedule runs behind the newsletter schedule, so you won’t see audio narration for the newest Insights yet, but for older Insights, there’ll be audio embedded on the website.

Thanks so much for being on this journey with me!

If I don’t meditate today, will I ever become a consistent practitioner?

If I don’t go for that run today, will I ever become a runner?

If I don’t stick to my diet today, will I ever get in shape?

There’s a time and place for being a hardliner about your habits – the first 30-45 days when the naysayer voice in your head still says, “let’s see how long it takes before I give up again.”

After all, you’re building a new identity and will still be pulled back towards your old ways.

But at some point, hardliners need to make the switch to “elastic discipline“:

Being disciplined about your daily practice while trusting yourself enough that when life inevitably puts you in a situation where you HAVE to violate your principles, you can navigate it, adjust your behavior, and afterward, like an elastic band, bounce back to your disciplined practice.

This is an overlooked part of habit-building. Because if you don’t consciously build the self-trust that you can, in fact, persevere despite setbacks, you’ll live in fear of giving up forever.

So initially, when you start a new habit, be a hardliner.

Use Tiny Trust Builders to start building confidence in your ability to persevere.

After 30 days, start asking yourself: do I trust myself enough to skip a day and then bounce back to my disciplined practice tomorrow?

Skip a day, then start again.

Build self-trust.

Feel your confidence and self-worth grow.

Cultivate “elastic discipline” and become free.

There’s nothing wrong with chasing quick wins, as long as you define them well.

Because the first quick wins are usually internal and invisible.

Only when you’ve won some battles against the inner critic who wants you to give up do the external quick wins kick in.

And that’s how it’s supposed to be.