If I hesitated or dallied any longer, this message would be lost forever.
I didn’t want to write today. I was lethargic. Then I thought about the incredible streak I’m on and I just had to write. Also, I can’t preach about productivity if I, you know, am not productive.
I’ve written a blog post every week since August 30, 2021. I checked. That’s wild! I’m proud of myself. And without contesting the quality of each post, I’m simply proud of the consistency. It’s not easy.
Why should you care?
Well, it’s my blog so I decide what you should care about.
Okay, that’s rude and untrue. Read on…
While listening to Jay Shetty’s podcast this week, which I newslettered and tweeted about, he claimed that love for oneself comes from self-respect; and self-respect comes from doing what you said you’d do. By attempting challenging tasks and completing them. I agree with Jay.
In the autumn of 2021, a little over a month before my son was born, I decided to blog every week and I’ve done so ever since. Rain or shine. Inspired or not. Sleep deprived and desperate for a nap I couldn’t take because my son and life’s demands wouldn’t permit it—or not.
I respect myself a little more for that. I love myself a little more for that.
The blog was one of the first things I launched when I kicked the creating-content-for-public-consumption bucket down the hill.
Initially, I wrote about Excel tricks and productivity, but the views were like a millennial’s retirement savings—paltry. And every time I wrote about (quite literally) anything else, the views blew up (we’re talking tiny numbers here, so excuse my hyperbole).
As an analyst, I had to pander to the public. I had to write things people wanted to read.
On August 9, 2022, I wrote about the struggle to get my son to sleep and that post blew up. I’m talking the number of views that require a “K” at the end—blew up. Oh! by the way, while you’re here and we’re on the topic, that little champ now sleeps from 7 PM to 7 AM (!!!) and this is why I believe there’s a God. And that God reads my blog.
Do you ever wonder how I come up with these anecdotes or stories consistently? No? I’ll tell you anyway…
To write consistently I must remove all the obstacles to my writing. If I plan topics to write on, I can lose interest in writing about them. If I insist on making every post perfect, I become paralyzed with my fingers hovering above my keyboard. I don’t believe in motivation. I believe in doing. So, I write. I write what I feel like writing whenever I feel like it. I just make sure I write.
This principle applies to getting most things done. Like working out, for example. The thought of squatting 20 times for 3 rounds while a barbell thrice the weight of my son (if he ate cake every day) graces my shoulders, makes me stiff with dread. But, it’s a means to an end I’m committed to—looking good. Don’t believe the lies about being healthy. Being healthy is—what an economist would call—a positive externality of working out. The main goal is to look good.
I kill all my excuses.
Instead of thinking about how painful the workout will be, I wear my workout clothes 2 hours before and keep working. The trick here is to tell my body (and then my brain shortly after) to expect to use the workout clothes for their rightful purpose soon.
Body first, brain later.
When it’s almost gym time, I wear my shoes and drive straight to the gym. I kill all my excuses. By the time I’m in the gym parking lot, my body and brain have accepted their fate. The workout will happen.
Look at that, I’ve had you reading this for 2 minutes and we haven’t (really) gotten around to a point. That’s how easy writing can be.
The goal isn’t perfection. Perfection is the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow. Perfection is a non-mediocre Uganda with competent leadership. Perfection is subtle and insidious like that pothole outside your gate; One day it’s a baby puddle and the next day it’s a mini-lake commanding acres of road real estate.
The goal is habit formation. Just like a chef must cook and a thief must steal, to be a good writer, I must write.
What do you want to do? Who do you want to be? Do it. Be it.
Don’t feel like it? Do it anyway.
Have a good week ✌🏾
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