The critical ingredient is getting off your butt and doing something. It’s as simple as that. A lot of people have ideas, but there are few who decide to do something about them now. Not tomorrow. Not next week. But today. “ Nolan Bushnell
Ain’t it the truth? Unless, of course, you’re a writer. Then, you actually need to stay on your butt to get something done. Always two sides. I remember a story of a writer friend who jogged up to Stephen King at a marathon and said, “Mr. King, what’s the secret to writing success?” and he said, completely out of breath, “Butt glue.”
Ha! Butt glue.
But either way, metaphorically you’ve got to get moving. You’ve got to set deadlines and goals, or involve yourself with projects that do this for you or nothing gets done. Sometimes, people are highly successful at doing this in some areas of life, but lose it all in the translation to another area. I have frequently seen highly successful doctors who talk to people all day long about health, but are overweight and struggle with getting their own health issues under control.
We’re all human. So where to start. Baby steps. Pick something you can do, put some energy behind it, and reward yourself when you’re done. Rinse, lather, repeat. Just like this post. (I swear I’ve written it before.)
What is your baby step going to be? Come on. Share.
jamieweilwrites 
I am reminded of an interview given by Jennifer Hudson re: her weight loss. When asked how she kept motivated to exercise she simply replied “I don’t think about it” she went on to explain, she begins her choosen exercise for the day without thinking about it, she just begins. I admit there are days when I am less than anxious to workout. I remember what Jennifer said, “don’t think about it” I mindlessly begin and 5 minutes into my routine I have no intention of stopping.
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This is SO true, Janet. I do the same. The part I do think about, though, is whether or not I am balancing cardio and weight resistance work equally. I alternate days most of the time. I used to prefer cardio until I learned that we lose 1 pound of muscle every year after 25 or somewhere in there. We WANT muscle because muscle burns fat. Er go just to maintain our current muscle we have to work at it with weight training. Then there’s the vain part–it just looks good. I always remember this: nobody EVER says, “That was horrible” when they’re done, right? Just showing up gets her done. (And, hey, you meet really cool gym friends that may be life long friends, right?!)
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Butt Glue, I love it. I’ve just recently began to get back into my writing and I’ve resolved to not give in again. This post showed up at precisely the right time. My baby step is to honor my inner muse by licensing myself to create content each day. I’m not stuck to how much, or how long; as long as I’m swimming in the current of creation each day. Thanks Jamie.
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Love it, Damien. Your drive for consistency in developing your craft is rooted deep inside you and I can totally relate to that drive for daily consistency. 10,000 hours to mastery, right? Keep me updated at TM! And as for the current, the synchronicities that pop up along the way let you know you’re in the right stream. Thanks for commenting!
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I am going back on the 5 and 1 on January 2nd. I have enjoyed the holidays but the holidays have also enjoyed me. I also need to get my storyboard done so that this book is no longer in my head but is published by April.
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Both great goals, Julia! I know you’ll achieve whatever you set your mind to. Thanks for sharing.
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