WEEK 57: DEVOTE CONSISTENT TIME

WT = Waiting Time. DT = Development Time.

PLANNING (task, scheduling, and WT = DT):  I plan to write my Leap Year W28 post into the site Medium onWednesday at 6 PM in study. I plan to turn those small WTs into Grateful Time, where I look to see what I can be grateful for in those situations. For example, last week I thought how great it was to travel. It is so amazing to fly, visit new cities, and experiences new places you have never been before. 

EXECUTION (strategies used):  W57 check! Although I use a combination of many strategies throughout the week, there are always some that are used more than others depending on what comes up. For example, I relied heavily on the Be a Pro, Implementation Intentions, and TRUST strategies this week, as I was not able to complete the weekly task until Saturday. The highlighted strategies that were used in the week are listed below along with the I CAN'T statements that they help overcome. 

Procrastination....I CAN'T because I am not completely sure or am not qualified to...

TRUST: This is a strategy that took me over a year to finally internalize and came from the learnings from Benjamin Hardy, Dane Maxwell, and Seth Godin.

The path to achieving big things will always be hazy, unclear, and filled with uncertainty. This lack of clarity will bring about feelings of fear, but know this is a natural part of the process. Just have a "bias towards action" and embrace the dance with fear on a daily basis. Lastly, understand your comfort zone is but a small dot within your safety zone, so do something which terrifies you everyday for 20 seconds. This will help you to stretch your comfort zone and take on things you never thought possible. 

Procrastination...I CAN'T because I am not motivated or do not feel like it...

Be a PRO: I actually learned this strategy through insights from Jeff Goins, Tim Ferris, and James Clear. 

First, Jeff Goins mentioned in a podcast that “action will follow mindset.” Second, James Clear wrote that it does not matter what you want to become better at, the only skill that separates a “Pro” from an “amateur” is the ability to show up. Third, Tim Ferris said on his 4-Hr Work Week blog that “Practicing key habits when we don’t want to is the most key habit to all.” This reinforces this idea of being a “Pro” by having the mindset to show up consistently and completing the work.

The difficult thing about being a pro requires us to consistently follow through. Yet, we often let the challenges of everyday life get in the way and only attempt to do the work when we feel motivated. This produces small gains if any and leads us down a path of frustration. There will be days when you do not want to complete a key habit or activity, but develop the mindset of a “Pro” by showing up, sticking to your schedule, and then completing the tasks that move your forward.

Early Scheduling = Implementation Intentions: This is a strategy that I credit to completing my tasks consistently on a weekly basis. In this strategy, you first PLAN to complete a task at a SCHEDULED time (day and time) in a specific location as early in the week as you can. More specifically you fill in the following statement.

I plan to [task] on [day] at [time] in [location].

Three benefits are produced from doing this. First, you get a sense of accomplishment if you complete the task in the beginning of the week at the scheduled time. In addition, it allows you to devout more time to do additional tasks to reach your goals within the same week. Second, it provides more time to complete the task if life presents you with something that needs to be attended to during the original scheduled time. Lastly, research shows that you are 2X to 3X more likely to follow through on your actions. I learned about this strategy from James Clear, who is a great blogger that writes on the science of human behavior and how to build better habits. He shows the research on how Implementation Intentions help you follow through on your plans and achieve your goals.

REFLECTIONS (learnings and actions): It took me about one full year to crystalize the purpose of the Leap Year and at this point it is the following:

Identify what you are passionate about. This will lead you to find the highest expression of your talents to share wiht the world. You do this by consistently devoting time to activities to discover what you are passionate about. 

The purpose was validated when I read a great article on the site Medium from Benjamin Hardy and answers the question

"How can I know what I'm passionate about." 

Benjamin wrote

Rather than worrying about what you are passionate about, invest in yourself in something you believe in. You will grow to love what you put your energy into. You will love what you have sacrificed for. Love comes from work. It is not a feeling. It is committed action. 

This totally hit the nail on the head as the purpose of the Leap Year process is meant for you to DEVOTE CONSISTENT TIME to finding what activities you are passionate about. That means putting in the energy every week and showing up. Also, it includes you sacrificing activities that no longer serve you. But most importantly, it means putting in the consistent work to complete the weekly tasks. 

This committed action in turn, becomes Love. This has totally been true for me, as W57 into my Leap Year has cultivated a sense of love for the process. I am eager to get up every morning to devote time to this endeavor. 

Has it been easy? No, and at times I did not want to continue, but this connection was made stronger every time I pushed through and stayed committed to the process. Furthermore, my life has undergone a huge transformation due to this commitment to action, and that is my hope for you. I hope it can help you overcome your initial fears so you can finally take the Leap and start taking steps to achieving your dreams.

What went well?

W57 completed and it was actually done on Saturday while traveling. These circumstances would usually cause me to stress out in the past, but I was able to work around them quite easily. The strategies I have internalized in the Leap Year process helped me to complete the weekly task automatically. 

What is something we can improve upon? What actions can we take next week?

Being more present at all times. Not just for certain activities, but for all activities. That includes when I share small moments with my wife, son, or others. Also, that includes when I eat and drink. 

I have learned presence allows you to maximize the creativity in every situation, and presence first comes from awareness. Thus, I choose to not react and be more aware, so I can deepen my presence in the coming week. 

What is something to avoid next week?

Not being aware and present for the majority of the time.