Taking it to the Next Level

I’m a big fan of the Nike motto: Just Do It. If some of you have taken Melody’s Soul Restoration class, she has a similar concept which she calls: “She Did It Anyway.”

Here’s what I learned about life. We’re always too busy. There’s always a lot going on and there’s always a good excuse not to do that thing you’ve been putting off. There are some cases when the thing you’re putting off is unpleasant so as long as the consequences aren’t damaging, I can understand putting those things off.

But then there are the other things. Those we know we will love to do. Those that we really dream about. Those that might be tough but will have huge rewards. The thing is your life is made up of your ordinary days. So if you can’t find a moment to fit this new activity into your “every” day, you will never do it. Your life will never have that added joy because you’re constantly putting things off and waiting for the “right” time.

In general, I am very good about starting things. I am very organized. I make a plan and I get started. For example when I finally decided to start sketching (as opposed to whining about wanting to do it) I created a Pinterest board and collected several sketches I liked so I had a pool to choose from and I sketched one of them every day. Same for art journaling in my weeklong book. I made a collection of ideas and just did one each time.

Where I tend to get stuck sometimes is getting to the next level. Since I am a big planner, sometimes changing the plan is a big deal for me and I get stuck. For the last few weeks, I’ve been feeling like my sketching was getting stale. It was getting boring to copy more of the same sketcher’s work and I couldn’t find anything else I liked. I, briefly, tried to sketch my photos but that got old quickly, too.

I knew that I wanted to switch to watercolors. But I had so many stories around why I couldn’t. I make all my sketches in my daily book (I will write a post about this notebook) and it has thin squared pages. They can’t take watercolors. I also felt like I could never sketch without the grid I’d come to depend on (I bought grid paper cause I like it, not with sketching in mind.) so much. I also didn’t think I could come up with ideas of my own. I pondered for weeks and weeks. I looked at others’ work and felt frustrated. I tried to talk myself out of it. Told myself colored pencils were just fine, etc etc. This went on for weeks. Until last Saturday I finally decided enough was enough. I drove to the art store and bought a watercolor pad that was recommended to me (more about this on another post, too.) I kept telling myself not to over-think it. I had one idea for a sketch. So I cut the paper, and just sketched it.

As soon as I started, I forgot about the lack of grids, I dove right in and sketched and wrote and didn’t worry that I had no other ideas. I hadn’t planned a long list. I just did it. And then the sketch was finished and I loved it and glued it to my notebook and a new process was born. Two days later, I managed to come up with more ideas. I don’t have a long list but I am not worried. I know it will come. And if it doesn’t, I will adjust.

Just to show that this is not specific to art, the same thing happened for exercise. For the last month, I’d been worried about what happens when I hit the one-year mark. Do I keep going with the same system of walking for 2 miles and running for 1? Did I want to continue with 5K a day? I knew that I wanted to increase the running. I wanted to see if I could switch to only running for 2 miles. But I was really scared. I could barely make the 1 mile run, I didn’t think I could do 2. I also didn’t think I could start the exercise by just running. It sounds irrational but I was really worried. I kept whining and whining to myself.

And then on Saturday, which was my one year date. I just did it. I figured it was a Saturday and I was well rested and I could just give it a try. And it worked! Of course it worked. But then I worried that come Monday morning I wouldn’t be able to do it since during the week I exercise at 5:30am and there was no way I had enough energy for a 2-mile run at that time of the day.

But this morning I got up and did it anyway:

I didn’t think. I didn’t worry. I just did it. I know for some people 10:40 minute miles are slow but for me this is a miracle. And tomorrow, I will do the same. And the next day and the next day. I even have a plan on how to slowly get to running 3 miles a day.

One of the reasons I am good at getting things done is because I have relatively rigid routines around things I care about. So when the time comes to switch things up or take them to the next level, it can really mess me up. I can make a lot of silly excuses not to do it. Just like someone who never gets started to begin with.

But there’s magic in doing it anyway.

There’s magic in telling that voice to shut up. In having faith that the plan will reveal itself. In trying. In throwing yourself at it fully. Because that’s when the magic happens. You give it your all and the universe shows up to do its half.

It always does.

What about you? Do you have something in mind? If there’s something you’re waiting to start or take to the next level, this is my gentle push to encourage you. Make today your day. I cannot tell you how happy I felt all weekend for finally taking these two activities to the next level. I wish the same for you.

So take a cue from Nike and Just Do It!