Tuesday, July 4, 2017

Butt In The Chair

They say the hardest part of writing is putting your butt in the chair. That is the truth of most things in life. The struggle to motivate myself to get started is what holds me back from so many beneficial things in life. Wheher it is dieting and going to the gym or starting a new class on flower design, everyone has that moment when they decide to go or just stay on the couch with their tablet. 

Stepping out of our comfortable place to begin something new causes me to pause and question whether it will be worth the effort. I also question whether I have what it takes to be successful at it. Will people laugh at me? Will I fit in? The truth is I don't have to be talented enough for most adventures. I simply need to show up or put my butt in the chair.  

People applaud even the heaviest person when they see them out walking. We encourage others when they are brave enough to take a beginners art class. Admit it, you are impressed when you see a mom at the store with all four of her kids in tow. Rather than sticking out like a sore thumb, taking a step toward something new is courageous and that is how others view it. 

I get so discouraged when I let the little voice in my head tell me that I won't follow through anyway~so why try. When I started this blog over seven years ago, I tried to write everyday. Lately I have gone a full month between blogs. What stopped me? It wasn't just one thing. The most likely is that I simply got out of the habit of writing. The longer I went without writing the less I believed I could/should write. It truly was building up my courage and putting my butt in the chair and my fingers on the keyboard that brought me back to sharing my story. Each day I wake up and can't wait till my coffee is hot so I can get to my blog. 

It is true that doing something the first time is hardest and each time after gets easier. What I need to do is figure out what I really want and step to it. For me the list could be too long to type. Things I wish I was engaged in range from exercising and dieting to reaching out to those I have let slip from my daily life. Just getting started stalls me on too many things. Maybe I need to pick up my keyboard on a few other bucket list items. A list of all I want to accomplish gets overwhelming. Maybe I need to start with the three top things I want to grab onto and go from there. Success breeds success is more than a cliche. It is a fact. Now that I am writing again it gives me hope that I can and should pursue other list items. 

My top three get started so it becomes a part of my daily life are: 
1. Walking my ten thousand steps a day.
2. Connect with three people a week that I haven't spoken with lately. Over coffee or the phone I need to reach out and embrace those I love.
3. Rid out the material things in my life that weigh me down. Whether that means cleaning one closet a week or emptying the not so fresh food from my fridge just get unburdened by the stuff that clutters my life. Who needs twelve sets of sheets for a house with only three beds? 

Okay, I wrote it down. That is the first step, right? Now that my coffee cup is empty I need to get my butt out of the chair  and lean into more than just writing. 

In Him,
Joyful
7-4-17

2 comments:

  1. Great ideas and you always nudge me to work on changes. Or maybe I'm just you're copycat. Here's my 3 things to commit to:
    1. Drink a gallon of water a day.
    2. Practice sitting on the floor and getting up every day.
    I think I'll just start with 2. I'm the Queen of No Follow-through so 2 is enough.
    I love you.

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  2. Your three goals are ones I share, though I don't count steps. I walk my dog an hour a day, some day I will figure out how many steps that is, ha ha.

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