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by gnatman 106 days ago
I’m of the belief that doing just about anything every single day for a year will change your life! A key for me has been to “lower the bar” so that I can keep the promise to myself and maintain momentum through days of low energy or enthusiasm, e.g. playing the guitar for 1 minute, or writing 1 sentence.
8 comments

I took a 20-minute walk every day for a year. I don't know that it changed my life, but I think it kept me healthier than I otherwise would have been at the height of the pandemic, and it also gave me a point of pride in saying that I had the resolve and discipline to do something every day for a full year, come what may (did?).

It taught me the importance of ritual, and it also taught me how... incredibly imperceptive a lot of people are. (I was living with a family member at the time, who was constantly asking me if I was "getting out of the house" regularly. Yes. Every day. For a month, and then 3 months, and then half-a-year, and then almost a full year, and then more than a year. On that note, it's essential to not let others' expectations cloud your appreciation for what you're doing. Somehow, it had wormed its way into my subconscious rationale that part of the reason that I was taking my walks was to live up to their expectations. When it became clear that they didn't really care - at least not enough to notice - that kind of deflated things a bit.)

Similarly, just showing up at the gym/hobby/sport is huge. Even if you do next to nothing.
a stranger i once talked to at the gym told me "every workout is better than the workout you are not doing" and that kinda changed my perspective on that topic.
Yeah I go bouldering even on off days to “stay in the rhythm”. And I do have honestly terrible days where I feel I’m struggling climbs of even a grade below my comfort level, but at least I went lol.
How do you stay injury free climbing every day? I feel like at even twice week I am entering the danger zone with ligamentisis.
I suspect they mean "days that I deal off" rather than "every day". Even elite climbers struggle with ligament issues climbing every single day
Name checks out! Your clarification makes sense on a second read. Thanks
Yeah I definitely meant on days I feel off, and not that I climb every day haha. My body wouldn’t allow me to do daily climbs :)
The best form of exercise is the one you can consistently stick with.

For me, that got shot down in flames over the winter because I kept getting sick. :/

I didn't go to the gym a single day for November and December and it was heart-breaking when I started again in January how much I had set back. But slowly I got back to a good rate again.

A week ago someone asked why I was going to the gym that evening and I said, "Because it will make going tomorrow so much easier."

Start again.

I’m cycled almost ever day for a few years them took a 6 week holiday where we walked 15-20k steps per day. I thought that I’d be ok when I got back on the bike.

I was not ok.

Someone said it, I forget who: 90% of life is just showing up
Especially true for friendship. If you want friends, all you have to do is be in the same place with the same people regularly.
I think I recognize your handle, and I’m not sure we agree on much, but because of your comment I’m seeing a friend I haven’t seen in a decade. I sincerely thank you for the nudge.
I'm glad I could help! Do you mean you recognize my handle from previous interactions on here or in another setting? I haven't used this one anywhere else.
Just here. I’m not a prolific World Wide Web traveler.
I think it was Woody Allen.
Atomic Habits is a great book for little things like this that make a big difference when compounded with time.
I imagine reading a book about habits every day for a year would be life changing. :)
The hardest step is usually getting started, at least for me. Reducing the cost of getting started feels like half the job.

This usually means having the supplies ready and the tools out.

It's basically a form of meditation. It's a great way to get your life back on track
That's definitely not universal. I play/practice music, almost every day for at least 30 minutes, and it has no influence on my life, as far as I can tell. I cannot imagine that playing the guitar for a minute has any.
It feels bizarre to claim that playing guitar for 30 minutes a day has no influence on your life. Surely it brings you joy or satisfaction or keeps your skills up if you're a professional. Why do you do it if there's no influence? Couldn't you use that time for something else?
For fun. But I don't see how it influences/changes my life.
You think having fun has no influence on your life? You think sitting bored in a chair would give you an equivalent life experience?
Yeah, doing a small thing daily can add up so fast.

When I started my niche-musueums.com website I bootstrapped it by posting a new museum I had been to every day for a month. It took 15-30 minutes a day and within a few weeks I had a site I was really proud of.

I think the key is to give yourself permission to stop without feeling guilty about it. Any time I start a new streak like this I deliberately tell myself that it's not going to be forever and I can stop any time for any reason.

I love your website! Your url has a typo, here's it fixed in the meantime https://www.niche-museums.com
That's
>lower the bar

the classic: "aim low, avoid disappointment"