I Don’t Really Feel Like Writing
I’m writing this as I lay in bed Sunday night. I was going to skip a post this week but decided against it. However, as a full-time high school teacher and coach, this is the time of year when the drain and drag of the school year starts weighing on me. The days are shorter (and darker), the weather is cooler, and election anxiety is hounding me like a rabid animal this year.
Furthermore, the emotions of a long cross-country season have finally caught up to me. Since June, I’ve participated in trying to help a group of teenage girls and boys realize their opportunities and train for them. The season finally ended with one of those young women competing at the Texas state meet. It wasn’t the result any of us wanted, but as with all state championships, it’s an unforgettable experience, and we’re proud of her nonetheless.
And so, here I am. The motivational lesson in this week’s newsletter is to show up. We’re not always going to feel like pursuing our mission or having the energy to execute, but sometimes, if we can just show up, we’ve already done 75% of the hard stuff. I referenced this in our last post of the Come ALIVE fall series two weeks ago. If you can remain dedicated to what you set out to do, you may experience breakthroughs in moments of “I don’t feel like it”—even if you don’t get your desired results.
Like our state qualifying runner this past weekend, we had to remind her that showing up to the state meet alone put her in the top echelon of runners in the state of Texas. It can be hard to remember how extraordinary we are in moments of disappointment or apathy. So when you don’t feel like doing something, do it anyway—because you can.
When you don’t feel like cleaning—clean.
When you don’t feel like working out—work out.
When you don’t feel like making dinner—make dinner.
When you don’t feel like praying—pray.
When you don’t feel like voting—vote.
When you don’t feel like going to work—go to work.
When you don’t feel like making vacation plans—make vacation plans.
When you don’t feel like applying for that job—apply.
When you don’t feel like reading—read.
When you don’t feel like writing—write.
I get it. Life be lifing. And we don’t always have time to do everything, but that should never be an excuse to do nothing.
Sometimes, it's about finding that 25% of energy when the other 75% is missing.
As a principal coach, I’d say, "What can you do today, even if it's a small step? Don’t underestimate the impact of consistent action, even when you don’t feel like it."