This Choice Will Determine Your Day
It’s cold.Your feet hurt.You could get away with a little more sleep.
This is the choice.
You can either start your day by conquering your first challenge or you can hit the snooze button.You can either start your day with a small win or you can lead with an act of procrastination.Your call.Just remember that your brain is getting better at whatever it’s doing right now.
“We are what we continually do.”- Aristotle
2 Minute Action
Pick something small to conquer today.It will only take 2 minutes so you can do it right now.There is no way to procrastinate or make excuses.Everyone has 2 minutes.Here are some ideas:A phone call to your mom.A thank you note to your employer.A text to let your partner know you’re thinking of them.It should be small—but know that it will almost always make a bigger impact than you expect.
Surprise: You Aren’t Just What You Eat
You are what you eat.Have you heard this?Well, guess what?You are what you eat, watch, listen to or otherwise consume.This tends to make sense to most people.
Garbage in; garbage out.
The thing that’s weird is that you also are what you do.Did you avoid a conversation?Did you stand up for what’s right?Did you hit the snooze button, again?One action or decision doesn’t make you who you are, but it does make the next action easier.And it’s what we repeatedly do that defines who we are to the world.
2 Minute Action
What’s something you wish you would do?Set yourself up to make it happen right now.Maybe it’s scheduling a meeting with the person you need to talk to.Maybe it’s donating to the cause.Maybe it’s asking your friend to be your gym buddy.You can set yourself up for success today and it takes less than 2 minutes.Focus on what you can control and don’t leave any effort at home.
A Little Hack To Jumpstart Your "Someday Maybe" List
Almost everyone has a "Someday Maybe List"
On it, you have . . .
- The non-profit you want to start.
- The album you want to record.
- The backpacking trip you want to take.
Sometimes these things are so big and important that they paralyze us from taking action. Maybe we don't know where to start. Maybe the road is so long we are afraid we won't make it. Maybe it's not urgent so we hit the snooze button for later.
Here's a super easy way to start:
All you have to do is ask: is it actionable?Can you do something about it right now? Why or why not? If it's not actionable, you'll either need more information or you'll need to break down the goal into smaller, actionable pieces.For example, "write a novel" is a big, hairy goal. You can't just bang that out today. It takes time, persistence, and a LOT of patience.Most people think: I'll write a book and then maybe I'll start a blog to tell people about it.They've got it backward. By starting with the blog, you're not only writing out the novel in small, digestible chunks (some publishers call these: chapters), but you're also building an audience of people who are going to be the most likely group of people on the planet to care when you publish it.
Is it actionable?
No. You can't publish a novel today.Fine. So what CAN you do?
- You CAN write a chapter today.
- You CAN call 5 publishers every day for a week.
- You CAN start a blog, today.
Life is going to be a lot harder (and procrastination will be a lot easier) if the tasks on your to-do list turn out to NOT be actionable.It's an easy question.You've got this.Small, daily, relentless.
2 Minute Action
What's one thing that's been sitting on your to-do list for a while?What's holding you back from checking the box?Okay, now what's the real reason?What's a small step that you can take towards making it happen?