One of the most important things to track with respect to your goals, is progress. Progress is the key performance indicator for all of our habits, both good and bad. You may have heard the popular saying:
Showing up is half the battle.
or
80% percent of success is just showing up.
How true does this ring in your ears? For me, it’s been a large part of my life. When taking on something new, the single most important thing to do is show up. Whether you believe it’s only half the battle, or the majority indicator of success, it’s your priority to make the effort to show up every day. It’s an all-or-nothing task. If you don’t show up, you don’t progress.
Imagine you want to learn a new skill like programming, and find a job in the software industry. You encounter countless questions in your head. You start to doubt your ability. You eventually make a decision saying this isn’t right for you.
What if instead of thinking, you just showed up every day for an allotted amount of time? Think about if you said you would learn programming for a minimum of a year, and if after 12 months you still felt that way, you would pursue something else. Imagine of all of the things you would learn by doing, the things you’d learn by reading, and the people you’d meet along the way.
One problem with a lack of commitment comes with a sense of analysis paralysis, the overwhelming feeling of not taking action. Giving yourself the gift of commitment will rid you of this feeling. Showing up will become second nature, and you can focus on doing your absolute best work in anything you decide to pursue.
Every day that you show up, you are making progress. Every week that you show up, you are making progress. Every year that you show up, you are making progress.
You can become whatever you want just by showing up. Do you want to be an author? Show up by writing regularly, reading, and publishing. Do you want to be healthier? Show up by eating well, learning to cook, and drinking plenty of water.
Be the person who shows up at the door of opportunity rather than the person who hopes opportunity knocks on their door.
Leaders Are Coaches