I am allergic to the term “exercise.” The word “habit” is bland and tasteless in my mouth. And “work” feels heavy and uninteresting to my body-mind.
So how in the world would I ever have consistent “habits” around “work” and “exercise”?
The people I engage with typically find me pretty consistent. I show up on time for appointments and circle calls. I take care of my home, pay my bills, etc.
But there were a few key areas where “consistency” felt like an allergen to me.
Exercise. For this I have always had to put it into a different context. Dance, for example, is technically exercise… but I dance for the pleasure of moving my body in surprising ways inspired by music and dance partners. If I “danced for exercise” I just wouldn’t.
The Morning Mile is a catchy name that works to give a focus to 17+ different benefits I want from consistent movement. Today is Day 65 – pretty consistent! It helps that there’s nothing about it that feels like “exercise” – even with a lot of tapping, exercise as an attitude feels icky.
My first invitation here is for us to check in and see if there is something that actually would be an uplift to our energy and vitality that we’ve been avoiding because it is labelled as something we loathe (or at least find distasteful)?
Exercise is one.
What about work?
What about habits that would benefit us… might even give us a breakthrough!?!
Work… showing up as a professional for something that matters
It was Seth Godin who activated this re-frame in me.
- Showing up… it’s what professionals do. It’s what devoted people do.
- It’s worth it to bring our energy (and labor) to assert on behalf of ideas that matter.
Seth shows up on his blog everyday. He’s decided that showing up with consistency is what a professional like him does. He understands that to be a professional means to have real skill in managing your focus and energy… even when “you don’t wanna.”
It was when I got clarity that showing up consistently was a skill, and being able to tune to the state of being to write a fresh post here on the center is a skill, I decided to start microstepping my way to a breakthrough.
It’s been 46 days since we opened the Community Center and I’ve made 46 new topics here. I’ve missed some days, which is okay. Other days I’ve written more than one fresh topic. I do not believe that consistency always should mean an uninterrupted streak.
It’s also clear to me, in my own life and working with clients and the emotional freedom community that…
Sharing your creative work matters
Seth’s book called The Practice has shipping (publishing, sharing) creative work as its focus. It was here, again, where Seth helped me reframe the consistency implied by habits (including Bad Habits) into something activating of my energy:
Instead of Habits… Cultivate Practices
Develop Practices (and We-Spaces) that make it easy for you to share your creativity.
I know there’s heartistry in you that we in your community would benefit by you sharing with us.
If you don’t think so, convince me in a reply! And if you want, maybe we’ll do some tapping together on it.
If you do feel that there’s something in you that matters to your heart that you really want to express, consider a microstep that if practiced with consistency could lead to a breakthrough for you… reply and let us support you in your heartistry! We’d love to!
A quick note about the word “breakthrough” –
Love to you 
I had to create a ‘micro-step’ in order to engage with that activity.
We human animals have inherent programs that value conservation of energy. It’s resistance. It helped our ancestors survive. We will “work for food” but if we work “too hard” we end up depleting our reserves (or hurting our body), so we’ll… not.