Getting better every day is something that my friend Josh Hanagarne at World’s Strongest Librarian has made very popular.
At first, the idea seems very daunting. Actually, it’s much less challenging than you might think. The size of each step in the right direction can be very small but the distance you cover over a couple of weeks is amazing.
I started trying to be mindful of getting better everyday a few weeks ago. Here is one of my early weeks:
My week of getting better
- Saturday: started foam rolling my calves because I noticed they were getting tight after my NEPA (non-exercise physical activity) walks in the evenings and I really suffered after my last multi-day walk in the Lake District
- Sunday: started running my mileage counter in the car after filling up with petrol so I know better when it is running low and I need to fill up again (yes, I have quite an old car)
- Monday: began keeping my camera to hand more often so that when I see something I want to photograph I am not standing there grabbing at thin air like Indiana Jones without a pistol
- Tuesday: decided to give no quarter on my game left shoulder and set about pummelling it into submission with a heavy round of trigger-point rolling on my rhomboids and rotator cuff: hopefully it will then be ready for my next bench cycle in a few weeks
- Wednesday: it was a beautiful evening with a nice sunset so rather than just do a short walk with a heavy rucksack for my NEPA (non-exercise physical activity, I decided to do a 2-hour walk out onto the fields and the wood behind our house
- Thursday: upon reflection, dug out my old swiss ball and replaced the chair at my desk at home with it. I am sat on it right now as I type this. I have since also discovered that if you sit on a swiss ball for any length of time you will soon realise that a towel is a good idea.
- Friday: reorganised my Google Reader and cut out a load of annoying sites that update more than once per day with one-liners that say “for the rest of the article, click here” because they are more irritating than useful and just waste my time
Enjoying a beautiful sunset is better than sitting watching TV
Breaking it down
As with all things, I quickly found that there were things that worked well and there were things that worked less well. Some of my intended new habits just didn’t stick while others I am still doing everyday.
Here are some of the lessons I have learned:
What I have found works well
- Small things that I’ve been putting off for ages but really need to get on and do (e.g. foam rolling my calves every day)
- Going back to something I should have finished (e.g. learning a piece of music on the guitar)
- Things that take very little time (e.g. saying hello to people in the morning)
- Things that bring instant rewards (e.g. rationing my time on certain daily tasks, enjoying being outside)
- Things that can be done on a whim and started immediately (e.g. not arguing with your partner)
- Mixing up the types of things, especially one-off things vs. long-term new habits (e.g. an impromptu walk one day and resolving to roll my calves every day the next)
- Things that improve visibly with practice (e.g. skills like playing music, cooking, weightlifting etc.)
- Things that are a direct swap for one habit I currently do (e.g. drinking green tea instead of coffee)
What I have found works less well
- Grand gestures or plans, (e.g. suddenly deciding to learn a new language or write a book)
- Things that meet a lot of resistance (e.g. like actually taking a lunch break at work to do something for yourself)
- Things that require investment (e.g. taking classes at nightschool)
- Things that must be delayed until a future date before you can start (e.g. deciding not to lay in at the weekend on a Monday morning)
These are my experiences. If you tried this technique and you have suggestions for other things that work well, please let me know.
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I like your thoughts, especially the ones about loving the outdoors and getting out. Ever think of adding meditation to your daily practice to center yourself and clear your head?
Thanks for your comment, Elle. I hope you continue to find agreeable thoughts here on my blog.
However, the answer to your question is quite long and probably doesn’t really fit on my blog. Do I come across as someone whose head needs clearing? I’m happy to open that question up to the floor…
No, not really. I am, however, in need of frequent clearing. The swirling thoughts that clog my brain, often keep me from focusing on more important things – the things that really matter.