One of my favorite songs is “It Don’t Come Easy” by Ringo Starr. The horns are especially cool to me 🙂 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=anpjEN9KeJ0. As I struggle to keep my 365 Commitments, the phrase “it don’t come easy” seems apropos. Each day provides the opportunity to do it again, and again, and again until it your new habits become ingrained.
The Rocky theme song is pretty cool too. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ioE_O7Lm0I4 . Always gives me a feeling of inspiration when I listen to it. When I’m facing my run, or pushups, or pull-ups I try not to think too much, just get to it. Simply turning to a good habit when weak or negative thoughts intrude seems to be helpful. I will be feeling down, or fearful, or inadequate, then – simply following through with my morning routine puts me into a more confident and courageous headspace. So, don’t give up. Turn to a good habit when you are feeling down. Stay the course because you want to see what you will be like after 365 consecutive days of disciplining yourself. Stay faithful to your future self.
I feel a sense of pride and accomplishment when I grind out the exercise, and walk into the cold shower, and carefully keep my focus on my list. I feel encouraged and renewed when I seek to connect with the highest good I can imagine, when I meditate on consciously bringing up the higher emotions of care, gratitude, appreciation and love. These habits/disciplines are helping me. Consistency is key. Regularly setting myself up for success at the beginning of the day allows me to take on the significant challenges of each day with greater efficacy.
The point is, at first, keeping good habits takes energy, but after a while you notice they give more than they take. They change the nature of your reality by changing your mental headspace, and, because of that, you interact with the world differently. Slowly, almost imperceptibly your world changes because you are showing up differently than you used to.
Think about a great artist. They did not start out making great art, they started out giving up many things in life in order to focus on developing their skill. They had to narrow and constrain and discipline themselves before they could express their individual creativity. Just know that the 365 Commitment is a narrowing phase, a disciplining and learning phase; a giving up of things that don’t help in order to focus on what does. Don’t worry, there will be opportunity to blossom in your creativity after you have completed the hard work of ingraining your new habits. That future you will be able to be and do so much more because of your hard work now. So, for now, focus on forging your discipline by maintaining your commitments.
Ben Wagner (55)
Member The 365 Commitment
