This 2-Minute Hack from James Clear Can Save Your Routine…
Reduce the Scope, Stick to the Schedule.
I’m the type of person who thinks a lot about consistency and productivity.
I’ve actually interviewed over 450 creatives on this very subject.
And, we all know that, no matter what is going on, from time to time, life gets in the way.
On this day, I just didn’t have it in me.
I woke up after about 3 hours of sleep and couldn’t fall back asleep.
We’ve got a day packed day with family plans — church, lunch with family, pool day with friends — and Sunday cleaning in the free time (all of this doesn’t include watching our one-year-old, a surprise plumbing leak, and an off-and-on migraine).
This is a pretty mild day, but sleep is the big one for me.
I used to never sleep well, as my mind would race when my head hit the pillow, but I started taking some over-the-counter medicine and generally sleep pretty well these days.
So this only happens maybe once a month, rather than a few times a week.
I used to have a day like this one, and not only would I not get anything done that day, it would lead to a chain of bad days.
Pushing assignments, getting lost in social media, binging television, eating fast food…all of life’s best mediocrity to cope.
But today is different and while I’m dragging, I know the rule to help me change. Once again, it comes from James Clear:
“Reduce the scope, stick to the schedule.”
It’s meant for the days when you don’t have control (and in the beginning, this could honestly be the majority of your days).
Here’s the idea…
It’s better to do a 2 minute workout than put a 0 down for the day.
It’s better to read for 2 minutes than put a 0 down for the day.
It’s better to write for 2 minutes than put a 0 down for the day.
Consistency is about showing up, not being perfect.
With the exception being planking or fighting Conor McGregor in a street fight, you can do anything for 2 minutes.
In terms of consistency, here’s what today looked like for me:
- Publish Medium ✔️
- Schedule Email ✔️
- Stretch workout ✔️
- Start tomorrow’s post ✔️
What does consistency look like for you? How can you reduce the scope of a current habit but still stick to your schedule? Build your plan now so you’re ready when the inevitable knocks.
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