When I first started planning to do this blog, I had a great idea for an inspirational message about getting up in the morning and leaning in. But to be completely honest, this is something I’ve struggled with over the past few weeks. With the cooler fall mornings, instead of jumping out of bed, I have been hitting the snooze and snuggling under the covers for a few minutes. Many of my creative writing tasks have recently been replaced with needing to develop spreadsheets and accounting practices. I can write for hours and joyfully lose all track of time. But in the last few weeks I’ve spent more time than I’d like to admit trying to figure out all the legal responsibilities to publishing and selling a book. These are tasks I detest, and I am filled with fear, anxiety, and dread as I watch the hours slowly tick away without really accomplishing anything.
But as I think about, isn’t this what leaning in is all about. It’s easy to leap into something you want to do. I always think about my kids at the lake. They are so excited to jump in. Even if it’s cold, they with run out to the raft and jump in again and again and again. Giggles and screams fill the air as they leap. I have no trouble getting up on my birthday or on a beautiful summer day when I have plans to fill my day with all kinds of fun.
But those days are easy. Leaning in, is for the hard days. It’s for those days you would rather skip, even though you know it will help you reach your goals or will help someone else. It’s those days when you hold your sick child, visit an ill parent, or do one of those tasks (like paying taxes) that you just don’t want to do.
For these tasks, I’m learning that leaning in takes a little bit more than wanting to do something. It takes commitment and discipline. When I have a task that’s a little bit harder to lean into, I find I need to do some mental work. I need to remind myself how the task will help me or why the overall goal is important to me. Sometimes I need to enlist the help of others. I’ve had to eat a lot of humble pie lately and realize that to publish a book, I needed help. I needed to ask questions and let others help me.
Once I’ve committed to the task and have some supports in place, I find I need to replace some of the habits holding me back with new ones. For example, I know when I get up and get going in the morning with a routine and a plan, I have a better day. I get more accomplished and I’m more energized. One of the strategies I use for this is a technique I learned from Mel Robbins called the 5 Second Rule*. Mel suggests when you want to do something you need to physically move within 5 seconds and start to take action toward the goal. In the morning, when the alarm goes off, the simplest way to practice this rule is to jump out of bed, turn off the alarm and start your day. It’s not always easy, and that’s ok. The more you lean in, the easier it becomes, especially when you keep your goals in mind and lean on people who can help you along the way.
Whether you are in a season of leaping or leaning, I hope this inspires you to commit to your goals and maybe add a little more discipline to your day. Go ahead, LEAP or LEAN in!
*Robbins, M. (2018, December 13). The 5 Second Rule. Retrieved from Mel Robbins → The 5 Second Rule