This past weekend, Sifu Brinker brought by a pleco named Catthulu for my Aquarium. He now has a bunch more space to swim and stretch in and he seems to be doing fairly well. Plus one of his roommates is named “The Ancient One” while another is “The Danger” so he fits right in.
While Sifu Brinker was here I mentioned that I have been struggling to regularly achieve my numbers or even my kung fu practice. We both agreed that consistency is essential for mastery, and that the process will take effort. I think building a routine and a habit of regularly practicing kung fu would help immeasurably in this quest for mastery. Yet I don’t have a habit, I don’t have a routine. I also mentioned that I think a lot of times we have time or the ability, to make time for things that are a priority in our life. Unfortunately, life is constantly changing and my priorities shift continually. I can have energy and enthusiasm and I can start putting in a lot of daily effort for bursts of activity. These can be highly productive periods where I feel like things are coming together nicely, but then I get distracted and my effort slips and my numbers spiral. Then when I next get a burst of energy I see how much farther I need to go and it becomes very easy to start looking for excuses or other things to do.
Consistency is still what appears to be the key. Bursts are not sustainable and they aren’t regular enough to fill the gaps. Sifu Brinker mentioned that the first thing he does in the morning is to get his requirements completed before even heading to the bathroom. This sounds like a fantastic way to build some consistency into a kung fu practice, but when I try to get my requirements done it takes a loooonnnnnggggg time. I cannot do everything all in on go like that, I don’t have the strength, discipline or conditioning. Yet not doing anything isn’t helpful either.
I see the value in creating a habit like this though, where even if your routine changes or life gets crazy, the first thing you do is something that focuses you for the day ahead and awakens your body. It’s not a lot, but I am going to try to build in a similiar though smaller habit in my life. My goal is to do 33 push ups and sit-ups, as well as one rep of my hand form every morning first thing. I believe that this will help to put me into a mindset where I am ready to do more as opportunities pop up throughout the day. It is a way to say that I’m not giving up and even if I don’t make it to all of my numbers, my day was still a success. I think it will be a really helpful way to begin to build a habit that works towards mastery.
p.s. Paddy is recovering well and is almost ready to have his stitches removed.
Glad Paddy is recovering and doing well, and your enjoying your new pet! Consistency is key. We all start somewhere, the important part is the start. You may find you restart several times, but a habit will form, and you will find what works for you. You’ve got this!
Something that might be helpful to think about is forming a habit of seizing opportunities rather than building a routine. instead of “I will do push-ups everyday at 6:30” try to take advantage of those moments when “I should do some push ups” comes along, that way life can’t disrupt it as easily because it’s a mindset rather than a schedule