Mastering the art of showing up

It may seem like common sense, but to start a healthy habit, you first need to show up. 

And then you need to show up again. 

And again. 

Habit-building is more about repeating a behaviour day in and day out rather than super-human self-discipline and motivation. Here are six tips you can follow if you want to master the art of showing up: 

Think big, but start small

• By creating small, achievable tasks, you are laying the foundation for a successful habit. You can then work on enlarging each step until you reach your goal. Remember, showing up shouldn’t overreach your abilities on a day-to-day basis. Consider 20-minutes of exercise a few times per week versus an hour of exercise every day. Which are you more likely to show up for? In essence, you are far more likely to show up if the task is achievable.

Do it consistently

• Get into the habit of consistency by assigning realistic times to each goal. For example, you may want to initially strive to complete 5 minutes of meditation every day for one week before increasing your goal to 10 minutes every day. You should eventually find the habit rooted in your daily schedule.

Plan appropriately

• Writing down the day’s tasks, no matter how big or small, will help you to show up and get them all done. Tick off each item as you complete them before you move on to the next item. In the famous words of Bruce Lee: “I fear not the man who has practised 10 000 kicks once, but I fear the man who has practised one kick 10 000 times.” 

• You can also use the ‘very easy’ to ‘very hard’ principle, in which your end goal is split up into five steps, including ‘very easy’, ‘easy’, ‘moderate’, ‘hard’, and ‘very hard’. That way, you know exactly what task you are showing up for.

Follow-up Fridays

• Choose one day per week to assess your progress and make changes where needed. Trying to maintain a habit that isn’t working is a recipe for disaster and will likely hinder your chance of showing up each day – or at the very least, will make it an unenjoyable experience. 

Be proactive

• Prepare yourself for showing up. For example, set out your exercise clothes the night before, place your to-do list in the centre of your desk, or put your alarm on 10 minutes earlier than need be if you know you’re likely to snooze it once (or twice). 

Acknowledge failure

• Mistakes are bound to happen – no one is perfect. The trick is not to give up. Instead, use the failure as a learning opportunity and acknowledge what is and is not working - and then get back on track the very next day. By continuing to show up, you will increase your chances of being rewarded in the long run. 

The main difference between those who want to do something and those who actually do something is the showing up. Woody Allen actually summed it up nicely: “80% of success is showing up”.