Have the Courage to be Sh*t!

“Dadaaaaa!! I can’t find my teddy! Dadaaaa!!”

The sound every parent loves to hear at 4:00 am. Of course, because my spawn takes after her mother, the little princess is back asleep in minutes. But, my noisy brain wasn’t as keen on sleep as I was. I lay on the couch for 45 minutes. Then I decided today was the day I’d start a morning stretching and mobility routine.

I’ve been thinking about stretching for some time. As I get older I want to maintain flexibility and mobility. I also know it will help with my strength and weightlifting programmes. Even though I understand the benefits I have still put it off for months. Years actually.

Strange how we all do that. We know something will be beneficial for us but never “find the time” to start. Let me help you out. You will never find the time for something. There is no spare time lying around for you to discover. You have the same amount of time every day. You need to make time.

This morning I didn’t want to make more excuses. It was too early to start death-scrolling on socials. And, way too early to start reading emails. I searched Youtube and found a 20-minute guided stretch routine to dive into. 

Jeepers creepers, it was hard - I’m about as flexible as a broomstick. But, holy shit did I feel amazing afterwards. It was a great “day one”.

This brings us to today’s topic.  Every single person has to have a “day one”.Every. Single. Person.

There is no exception to this rule. The best of the best had to start somewhere. Sure, some may have started earlier. And, some may have had some natural talent. But, I can assure you on their day one they were average. Even, pretty shit.

You’ve been telling yourself that you don’t have time. Or, you’ll start when ____________ (insert any pathetic excuse here). Most of the time we’re scared to start because we think we’re going to be terrible.This week when you want to put a new hobby or project off because you’re too scared. Let the “day one” thought put things in perspective for you.

Stephen King’s first book, the iconic thriller Carrie, received 30 rejections. Finally causing King to give up and throw it in the trash. His wife fished it out and encouraged him to resubmit it. Today, King is one of the most successful writers of our time.

Michael Jordan was cut from his high school basketball team. He knew he needed to keep working and ignore his inner critic. He once said, “I have missed more than 9,000 shots in my career. I have lost almost 300 games. I have failed over and over and over again in my life. And that is why I succeed.”

There are countless stories like these, in hundreds of varying categories. I’ve pulled together three simple mental models to inspire you to start your day one.

Have the Courage to be Shit!

Take the plunge. No one cares how good or bad you’ll be at something. And, for sure no one expects you to be excellent on your first attempt. The only person that can set that expectation is you. Keep your inner voice quiet and start with the expectation that you will be shitty for a while. It will be hard. Tomorrow you’ll be a better version of who you are today.

Compounding Effort

Compounding is an extraordinary system. It is most often referenced in investing circles. But, compounding can apply to hundreds of scenarios. Working consistently at anything will eventually produce results. Continued effort and focus, over time, will improve on those results. “Practice isn't the thing you do once you're good. It's the thing you do that makes you good.” Malcolm Gladwell - Outliers

Make it Simple

You decide you want to challenge yourself (or prove yourself) and you’re going to run a half marathon. You can’t wake up on your first morning and run 25km. To get committed and create the habits you need. Find the easiest, simplest process to get you started. If you have 3 days a week and you know you can run 3km before you feel sick. Start there. At the end of your first month, you’ve now run about 30km in total. There’s your half marathon. You're past the biggest hurdle. You’ve now created the habit. 

So, I’m committing to stretching. Twice per week. 20 minutes full-body stretch. It’s 100% doable. I’m committing to the practice right here, right now. You are going to hold me accountable. I am still not good but every day it sucks a little less and I am better than I was yesterday.

What have you wanted to start doing that you’ve put off for years? Embrace the suck! Have the courage to be shit and get started.

Peace, love and muscles.

Jazza

What I’m using for stretching

Romwod - excellent daily routines for athletes of all kinds. There is an app or website. There is a subscription fee but it's worth the small investment.

Bodyweight Warrior - If you prefer to start off with something free give Tom Merrick a try. His videos are informative and he has routines for beginners.

Podcast I loved this week 

Ramit Sethi on the Tim Ferriss Show - Episode #524I love Ramit Sethi. If you haven’t read I Will Teach You to be Rich, download it now. The title is terrible but the advice is glorious. This episode with Ramit discusses his new podcast, bucket lists and planning your “rich life”.

What I’m reading 

African folktales. Specifically about African wildlife. I was an amateur wildlife photographer many years ago. I spent many hours in the bush talking with rangers and trackers. I fell in love with old folk tales about the different animals. 

I’ve got an idea for an NFT art project that involves African animals. This is the research piece.

If you know any awesome designers who want to start on a cool side project please pass them my way.

Something Beautiful

Sticking with the African animals’ theme.

Cheetah Playing Hide ‘n Seek

Shot by me - Kruger National Park, South Africa