Day 30 | Daily Dose of learning
This project is inspired by the ‘100-day project’, a challenge consisting of committing to doing an activity everyday for 100 days.
I have decided to write about one thing I learn everyday for the next 30 days. This can be a skill, a deep concept to elaborate on, or a mere life lesson that made me become aware of something I consider relevant.
The decision is based on the belief that “we are what we repeatedly do”, as Valentin Perez put it.
Discipline, and the Importance of Showing Up.
A widespread belief in the productivity world is that when you want to learn something, become better at some skill, or successfully conclude a project, making that activity a habit will increase the chance for you to actually complete that objective or vision.
James Clear, author of ‘Atomic Habits’, has a vast library of articles on the topic of habit setting and he shares valuable tips and tricks to succeed in the habit building process.
It all boils down, however, to intrinsic motivation, trying to tie down habits to your identity, and being inspired to stick to the habits you want to build for yourself.
Discipline also plays a role. Discipline gives structure. It provides clarity of intentions and personal responsibility to follow through the activities. Discipline is the internal drive to do what you need or want to get done because it is something that adds value to your life.
Finally, showing up, no matter what, is another pillar of building a habit or finishing a project you have to conclude. There are days in which you just do not feel like grabbing the pen and writing, or practice playing the guitar. It is in those days that it is the most important to show up. Showing up means just starting. It means making a compromise with yourself, and beginning the task at hand without great expectations. If that lack of willpower continues, then it will mean that you’ll stop after 5 minutes from starting. Other times, however, you will find willpower come along, once the activity has begun. In both cases, that’s a win.