Think of anything you desire to do on a consistent, daily basis. You might have more than one thing. Perhaps your list includes working out, meditation, prayer, writing, blogging, generating ideas, or keeping a journal.
Maybe it’s as simple as pausing to breathe more slowly for a few minutes, or five minutes where nobody is calling your name or needing something from you or clinging to your leg.
What all of these things have in common is that they are time to connect with yourself. That elusive time often known as “me” time.
How often do you make that time for yourself?
It’s easy to find reasons why we don’t have time.
Too much work. Too many demands. Too busy. An erratic schedule. It’s too cold. It’s too hot. You’re traveling. You have friends in town. You’re not feeling well. You don’t feel like it. People need you.
If you’re committed, you’ll find a way. If not, you’ll find an excuse. — Tony Robbins
If you’re looking for a reason why you can’t do the thing you want to do, you’ll find one. They are abundant.
But so are the reasons to maintain your commitment.
Stop Searching For Time
Time not something you find at the lost and found. It’s not lost, and you won’t find it.
This is not about finding time. It’s about creating space.
The Crew Test
In the path of developing each of my rituals, the ultimate test for my commitment is what I call the “Crew Test.”
The Crew Test involves maintaining my ritual while serving on the event crew for a Tony Robbins event.
The hours are notoriously long. The days are intense, and the schedule is uncertain and subject to change. I don’t have full control over my schedule. I can get pulled to a new task at any moment. It has become the ultimate environment in which to prove to myself the strength of my commitment.
Will I get up at 4:30 or 5 am to fit in a workout and meditation before reporting to the venue for a 20+ hour day, or sleep in?
Will I find a way to complete my steps?
Will maintain my journaling practice?
If I can keep my streaks alive through the long, grueling hours of Crew, then I know I can keep them alive through anything.
The Skill of Letting Go
On an ordinary day, my rituals help me develop the skill of creating space. At an event, or during another busy time, my rituals help me develop the skill of letting go.
My rituals at an event don’t always look the same as they do under more ideal conditions. A workout might be 30 minutes, instead of 90 minutes.
I am focused on the outcome, not the process. The outcome is two-fold:
First, to create some space to connect within so that I can nourish my soul and show up fueled to serve.
Second, to keep the streak alive.
One exception opens the door for more exceptions.
I must let go of perfectionism, sometimes even of “good enough.” It’s about doing whatever it takes to keep my ritual in flow.
The question is: what is the minimum I can do to feel nourished so that I can show up fully present in my service to others?
This Week’s Crew Test
Last week I celebrated one year of daily blogging. While it was a great milestone, I knew that I couldn’t fully celebrate until I had put this ritual through the Crew Test.
That happens this week.
You can’t find time. But you can find a way, or you can find an excuse.
I’m committed to finding a way.
What’s your commitment?
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