When the student is ready...

When a couple of things happen back to back with the same theme, you should probably take notice.

This morning I was watching the grounds crew at the hotel I am staying in get ready for the day. One guy in particular was pruning some dead branches and hanging bark off the the palm trees by the pool. It's probably something none of the guests would have noticed. They were small, likely no risk to anyone. They certainly did not detract from the overall beauty of this place, overlooking the Pacific Ocean. And there he was, making everything look just perfect. Doing just that little bit extra to make this place, and his work, stand out from the crowd, because he sees it, even if no one else notices.

Five minutes later I am sitting down for a moment of meditation with my Daily Calm app. It's another ritual I am trying to start. This morning's meditation was called "Cats". I am not a fan of the musical, I am dog person, and I have not seen much in the way of clever titles on this podcast before. The story is about a persistent cat that taught the meditation guide a lesson in knowing when  not to resist.

Point being, there are lessons everywhere, if we are ready to learn...."the teacher will appear."

#waveon

Making Change

I've been exploring ways to make positive change lately. Here's an approach that works.

First, write it down. Pretty basic, but it all starts there. Put your what and your why on paper.

Next, track it. I like paper best. The picture to the right is from my journal. It’s not pretty, but it’s effective. I’ve been in corporate America for the last 25+ years and we love stoplight reports. This is my variation. Red and green, good and bad for each day. It’s beautiful for its simplicity. Did you do it or not? 

The top green line represents 37 straight days of running; 28 this month, 9 carrying over from last. A few were excellent, most were average and a few were not so good, like the 10pm run after the men’s retreat wrapped with the Varsity food truck for dinner. ‘Nuff said.

Focus. Limit the “start” changes to one at a time. This helps to avoid adding too much time to an already crowded day. The “stop” changes take less time, but can be just as taxing. So don’t overdo it. Once something gets to the point of habit, pick the next one.

How long does it take until it’s a habit? Twenty-one days is my number. Once your past that mark, it’s a habit. It’s probably part of your morning, evening or some other ritual during the day.

Don’t confuse a habit with being an expert or even just being good at something. That’s not what this is about. Twenty-one days will build a habit and allow you to start seeing results. Getting good at it is a longer journey and expertise is a lifetime effort (or at least 10,000 hours).

September 12 post script. My running habit “ran” 50 days straight. A brutal stomach bug (avoid gas station soft serve yogurt) and Hurricane Irma laid me out on September 11. And I was back out for 3 this morning.

#waveon.