James Clear, the author of Atomic Habits, shared some great advice in a recent 3-2-1 Thursday Newsletter, "When choosing a new habit many people seem to ask themselves, “What can I do on my best days?” The trick is to ask, “What can I stick to even on my worst days?” Start small. Master the art of showing up. Scale up when you have the time, energy, and interest."

About 3 years ago I switched from working out at a gym to working out at home. Why? To remove potential barriers and make it easier to show up. What works best for me in order to be consistent in showing up for my workouts at home and on the road is to start my workout approximately 30 minutes after I get up in the morning. Because I get up at 3:00 a.m. unless I have access to a true 24-hour fitness facility the only way to keep to that schedule is workout at home, and in my hotel room when I am on the road (some hotel gyms don’t open until 6:00 a.m. or later.). We use the second bedroom in our condo as my office, and it now doubles as my gym along with the small hallway outside the office and one day a week I use the kitchen area as well. I have one kettlebell (I loaned my other two to my oldest son during the pandemic), a number of resistance bands and an X3 that I use for deadlifts and a few other exercises. Every morning I automatically “show up” in my gym so weather, my wife being out of town with the car, gyms closed due to COVID, or any other potential excuse / barrier to showing up has automatically been eliminated.

After my workout and sauna (Two years ago I invested in my in my brain and physical health by purchasing a Clearlight infrared one person sauna, which is in our small den.) I shower and I grab my coffee that has been brewing while I am showering and show up at my desk to get in an hour of creative work before I eat my first meal of the day. Once I show up I will always get some work done. Some days are more productive than others, but once I show up I know I am going to get some work done. 

Too often when we try to start a new habit we get caught up in the “go big or go home” mentality and try to base the habit on the image of what it looks and feels like when we are fully rested and fully energized. We think we can rely on motivation to continue. Motivation comes and goes and is unreliable. As James Clear points out, “Start small and master the art of showing up. Scale up when you have the time, energy, and interest.” Even on my low energy days I know that once I show up and start my warm-up I am going to workout. It may not be the best workout. It may not be the longest workout, but it is a workout and I always feel better after I do it.  

Mastering the art of showing up is not just for workouts. As a trainer, teacher, or speaker you need to master the art of showing up with the right energy and mindset to best serve the participants in your workshop or class. As a leader you need to master the art of showing up to lead, inspire and serve your people. As a parent you need to master the art of showing up for your children. As a friend you need to master the art of showing up when your friend is in a time of need. You need to master the art of showing up with the right energy and mindset when you show up at meetings. As a first responder you need to master the art of showing up with the right level of compassion and attention at every call as well as for your family at home. 

You also need to master the art of showing up for yourself. It is easy to master the art of always showing up for others and neglect yourself. You need to master the art of showing up for your rest and recovery. This is part of showing up for your workouts, but also includes showing up for your micro recoveries during the day. These might be mindful minutes, 5 to 10 minutes of breath work or meditation, listening to a guided imagery recording, reading for 10 minutes or just sitting in silence and enjoying a few minutes of solitude.  

Without the habit of showing up, which is really hard some days, and making it as easy as possible to show up, I would blow off too many workouts and work sessions. I realize not everyone has the luxury of having their gym, sauna, office and kitchen all within 20 feet of each other and within 25 feet of their bedroom. Whatever situation that you do have find ways to master the art of showing up. Once you show up get to work on the small actions, which will lead to the creation of habits and rituals. 

What’s Important Now? Start small and master the art of showing up. 

Take care.

Brian Willis

www.lifesmostpowerfulquestion.com. 

ONE QUESTION BRINGING FOCUS AND CLARITY IN THE CHAOS AND COMPLEXITY OF TODAY'S WORLD.

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