One of the smartest things I did for myself over the past couple of years was signing up for James Clear's newsletter. If you're curious, you can find it right here: "3 2 1 by James Clear." James recently dropped a quote on me that hit me like a ton of bricks and made me rethink my relationship with procrastination.
"Sometimes all you need for exceptional results is average effort repeated for an above-average amount of time."
That got me pondering all the cool things I wanted to be good at—or at least explore in a non-half-assed manner. Things like speaking Portuguese, learning some piano, creating more music, and even attempting to write (just like I'm doing now—aren't you lucky?).
But let's face it, time has come and gone, and progress has been about as elusive as a unicorn with a GPS tracker. The truth is, our world is a pro at procrastination. It's like social media's secret superpower. Got five minutes to spare? Well, let's dive into a YouTube video! Suddenly, those five minutes transform into ten, then twenty, and before I know it, I'm watching something so pointless that I catch myself red-faced with embarrassment.
But hey, Tom Bilyeu nailed it when he said:
“Don’t ask what’s the least you can do. Ask what’s the most you can bear.”
Here's the reality check: While I've daydreamed of becoming the kind of person who sets goals and actually achieves them, let's just say I'm nowhere near that level…. yet ( see Carol Dweck on the use of yet :) ) .
So, what's the takeaway here? Why should you keep reading this rambling post? If I were to throw a thought-provoking question your way, it would go something like this:
Do you even know who you want to be? And if you do, what habits are you cultivating daily to transform into that incredible human? Or are you just cruising on the procrastination highway, letting the scenery pass you by?
What can you do this week that will bring you closer to that person you are longing to become ? For me it’ll be to keep writing.
So until we meet again with my next post, keep finding your rhythm and make sure you keep dancing along the way!
Jarryd, the Master Procrastinator-turned-Motivator