#2: Inspiration, Part 1

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100 Posts in 100 Days

 

Yesterday, I kicked off my “100 Posts in 100 Days” with some thoughts about motivation and volition; moving from desire to action.  That got me thinking:

What’s going on that is helping me make the transition from wanting to do something (be a writer)
to actually doing something (writing 100 posts)?

A number of reasons for wanting to write come to mind.  Writing can help me to process, to communicate & receive feedback, to connect with other people, to document & reflect moments in time.  I’ve been thinking about it for a long time.

As I pause to reflect and name some of the things that are helping me to take volition and start writing, three big sources of inspiration come to mind.

    1.   Atomic Habits by James Clear
    2. The Art of Coaching Teams book by Elena Aguilar and online course by Bright Morning
    3. The Extended Mind by Annie Murphy Paul

In this post, I’ll say a small bit about Atomic Habits and in the next 2 posts I’ll write about the other two.  

Atomic Habits by James Clear

Along with moving every day (see Post #1), came another new behavior:  listening to podcasts and audio books as I walk.  Several different friends, colleagues, and articles had recommended the book Atomic Habits by James Clear and my wife had previously downloaded it to our shared audio library.  So, it became an easy choice for the track to my morning walks on the beach in Buzios during Carnaval week 2021.  

A year later, some of the ideas that continue resonating include the compounding impact of small changes repeated over time and that just getting started is one of the most important steps.  But the one that I can quote ~ and have quoted ~ over the course of the last year is this:  “You don’t rise to the level of your goals.  You fall to the level of your systems.”  Here I am, back to motivation and volition.  It’s not having pages of writing that will make me a writer.  It’s my daily practices and habits that will make me a writer.  For example, having my laptop already set up on my desk rather than tucked away in my bag is the first simple step to sitting down and writing each day.

Receiving James Clear’s weekly newsletter in my email doesn’t hurt, either.  It’s worth checking out.