the moon’s waning days
invite you to surrender
trust in the process
If you really want a habit to change you, you must engage with it for the long term. But how do you sustain it for the long term?
In August 2013 I started a daily exercise practice I call Fitness First. I haven’t missed a day since I started.
Once I identified the core elements of my framework, I used the same framework to create several other daily “habits,” including:
- meditation
- a daily morning journal + evening journal
- a daily blog
I’ve sustained all of these for at least 4 years; most are in the 7–8 year range.
Along the way, I’ve learned a few things about how to sustain a daily practice.
One of the most crucial pieces of guidance I received and adopted was to take my cues from nature.
Nature follows rhythms and cycles. One of the easiest to follow is the moon cycles.
- start
- a period of increasing intensity
- a period of lessening intensity
- release and rest
In physical training this concept is called periodization.
As the moon waxes and wanes, it invites us to do the same in our daily practices.
You might be able to push everything aside to go hardcore for 30 days. Maybe even 60. But if you want to endure for the long haul, you must dial back your efforts at times.
This requires trust in the process.
This week we are heading into a new moon. The final phase before the new moon is called the balsamic phase. The moon is moving closer to the sun, meaning we cannot see it.
In the light of the sun, it becomes dark. The darkness invites us to trust the process. The moon is still there, even though we don’t see it.
And the results of your long term efforts will eventually be visible to you, even if you don’t see them right away, and even if you back off from hardcore efforts for a day.
Trust in the process.
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