Getting Off the Ground: Day One

1030PM I head to the gym...time for another late session. But should I go or work on the podcast? Or sleep? Oh the comfort of sitting down and turning on Netflix or stepping into a hot shower before drifting off to bed sounds so intriguing...but no not now. Now is the time to build.

We all choose our suffering in life. Whether we like to admit it or not, every choice has a consequence. Maybe not today, maybe not tomorrow; but one day.

Skipping the next workout can lead to an imbalance or injury. Deciding to sit and watch Netflix simply is giving away our time to be a consumer (don't get me wrong it is one of my favorite pastimes for a great show). Even going to sleep because we are tired, may mean that the work waiting to be done is sitting another day. So how do we choose?

For me I have a 2-day rule. Miss one day, shame on me. Miss two days and uh oh...that is a sign of a new habit. The thing about habits are that they tend to be hard to start and stop. If you drink coffee, then you might know that if you miss your daily caffeine fix that it will be a rough day. But if you move onto day 2 without that black gold, you might even start to experience headaches. That tough day or the migraine that follows are actually our body's way of reminding us of what keeps us in balance. It is our internal workings saying "you're off, remember me your habit." This sucks, well when it sucks. But it is an amazing thing when our habits support a behavior that we want to put into practice.

Below are the top 5 behaviors that I hear people speak about wanting to implement:

• Workout
• Make more money
• Start a business
• Reduce screen time
• Eat healthier

(Comment below if any applied to you)

I think it is safe to say that at some point, all of us have said one of these is a priority in our lives. But they always still tend to escape us when we chase after them. That is, unless you have a plan to combat our programed biology. Most of this will probably just sound like a consolidated version of James Clear's Atomic Habits, and hopefully I do it justice.

If we simply read for the sake of reading without putting what we consume into practice, we are simply entertaining ourselves. Which is fine when reading fiction books, but when picking up a nonfiction piece, I always do my best to take just one item away from it.

Since reading Atomic Habits last year, I used several techniques that James discusses throughout the book. Setting up the right queues to help activate my behavior, improving my environment to make it easier to act on the intended behavior, and most importantly removing distractions that can take away from a certain behavior. All in all, I am happy with my habit progression (if you haven't read the book I highly recommend it).

Now my simple 2 day rule ensures that I workout. Miss one day, shame on me, but that second day will never happen. Just the other morning I finished a 6am workout, while last week was capped off with a midnight run. Normally my schedule is not so chaotic, but when it is these good habits have kept me centered.

Well my newest habit is working the editing of the Day One Launch Podcast into my daily routine...it has not been easy. I have edited photos and videos, but never paid such close attention to audio. My videography friends would give me a hard time for saying that...(I am looking for an intern to assist if you know of anyone, have them email me at [email protected])

But it's here now. On Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and YouTube. Thank you for starting on this journey with me. I will do my best to not let you down. There is always a theme to the things we choose in life...for me it has always been reminding myself of day one.