I haven’t missed a daily workout since 2013 — closing in on a decade.
In the day-to-day of the practice, I often have more “bad” workouts than “good” workouts. One day I feel confident in my abilities to lift and move, and the next day I might struggle even to walk without pain.
Since December 2015, I have sustained a daily practice of meditation. Whenever people ask me how to create a meditation habit, I am quick to point out that meditation is not a habit at all. A habit is an automatic response to a trigger.
Rather, meditation is a practice designed to cultivate the habit of noticing. It’s a process through which we create awareness of our unconscious thoughts and feelings so that we can be empowered to change them.
Many days I sit for meditation feel like “wasted time.” The benefits of meditation often don’t emerge in a single practice session.
But then, out of the blue, a situation will arise that shows me the benefits of my practice. I will notice myself in a habitual pattern of reaction to a trigger. Sometimes I am even able to interrupt that pattern. Even if I don’t yet have the capacity to change my reaction, the power of noticing the pattern weakens it. That’s a small step to progress.
My writing also follows this pattern. I’ve been publishing a daily essay for over five years. Some days, the words flow with ease. Other days, I struggle to articulate myself coherently — or at all. Some of my essays resonate with readers while others fall flat or never find an audience.
3 Lessons I’ve Learned About Progress
Here are three lessons I’ve learned from these practices that apply to all life undertakings.
(1) Consistency Isn’t the Goal — It’s the Table Stakes
Nobody believes that you can go to the gym one time and get fit. To build strength and endurance takes consistent efforts over a long arc of time.
In all of these practices and others, I show up daily no matter what.
People call me the “Queen of Consistency” because of my long daily streaks. They often ask me how to be consistent in working out, creative work, or whatever they want to cultivate.
I make an effort to stay consistent with my daily practices. I show up even when I don’t feel like it, even when I’d rather be doing something else.
When I’m really having an off-day, I may reduce my time or effort, but I show up no matter what.
That said, consistency isn’t the goal; it’s the “table stakes” — the buy-in. Without consistency, progress will be elusive.
Even if you don’t see progress, showing up daily for the practice will change you in ways that you can’t predict.
(2) Progress Isn’t Linear
Anything we do daily will have ebbs and flows. Even if we can define what “progress” or “success” means in a given situation, progress isn’t linear.
It’s cliché to say that “the setbacks set up the comebacks.” And it’s also not accurate. The truth is you don’t know in the moment what is a setback.
Sometimes the pieces I write on my off-days turn into my biggest hits.
(3) Progress Is Often Not Detectable
Progress — or even some evidence of the benefits of the practice — is also often not immediately detectable.
It can often feel like what we’re doing “isn’t working.”
Sometimes I leave the gym feeling like the leg workout I did was a waste of time because I didn’t feel the right muscles activate. Then I’ll have a day where things come together. In those moments it becomes clear that the exercises I thought “weren’t working” maybe were working after all.
As my coach says, just because you don’t feel a muscle working doesn’t mean it isn’t working.
Apply These Lessons at Mid-Year
At the midpoint of the year, it’s common to feel like what you’re doing isn’t working. Sometimes you do need to readjust your strategy. But before you quit a daily practice, keep in mind these lessons. You may be further along than you think.
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