Episode Resources
- Listen to Status Quo
- Use the hashtag #pickupthedamnjumper
Another morning where I walk into my room to get dressed for the day, try to slide my wardrobe door open, only to be met with resistance. The door refuses to budge. I give it a second (and more) forceful shove in an attempt to move the wheels over whatever is blocking them, and there it is… guilty as charged! There’s that damn grey jumper again! Testing my patience by selfishly inserting itself into my day and stopping me from doing the most simple of tasks with ease.
Then I stop, look at that bundle of mess which has fallen off its coat hanger yet again, and it hits me… It was me creating this resistance. Obvious I know, but I have known for many years that this particular Bassike jumper of mine — a favourite, with it’s uber cool semi-off-the-shoulder-vibe (which I like to rock because it makes me feel somewhat artistic) — has a habit of slipping off the coat hanger. The designer has even taken this into account, because inside the jumper are two loops you can use to secure it and stop it from sliding off the hanger and ruining your day… A built-in solution right there in front of me, yet I could never be bothered to use it.
I had to laugh at myself. How much of my life had I wasted picking up this damn jumper and putting it back on the coat hanger? Would it not be smarter to just do it once and do it well? This has always been my mantra in business. I don’t want to re-do anything that only has to be done once. But this jumper seems to have gotten the better of me. Sometimes I might even just leave it there on the floor, making it harder to then open the door and hang other items. Craziness! In fact Melissa, Leo and I all call this ‘Crazy 8-ing’, a concept Melissa goes into depth about in her latest book Open Wide. In a nutshell, it’s when you know have to do something, you don’t do it, then you get annoyed that it is not done… and the cycle repeats itself in an infinite Crazy 8 loop!
How many things in my life have I put off until the last minute, or until it became more annoying not to do them? In highschool I convinced myself that waiting until the last minute before an exam was just the best way for my brain to hold onto the knowledge long enough to regurgitate it onto the page the next day. But in the process of playing this game of Crazy 8, an internal battle would always take place, creating mental anguish and doubt for weeks — even months — in the lead up. Sound familiar?
Is there anything in your life that you know has to get done and it is sitting in the back of your mind day after day, taking up precious space and awareness?
Thank you, grey jumper. You have been a great teacher today. What I could have done is simply hang the jumper properly once, so that the next time I slide the door open effortlessly I can marvel at how amazing my life is… all neat and tidy.
In life there are always things that need to get done. From the small ‘life admin’ tasks to the bigger picture ‘life purpose’ stuff…
Like when the bin is overdue to be emptied, but you keep filling it anyway, until it’s so overflowing that when you DO get around to doing it, it spills all over the floor (and triples your workload).
Or that conversation you know you have to have with someone but you keep delaying it because it makes you uncomfortable.
Or how about that voice in your head that tells you, ‘My husband/wife won’t notice that it’s been two weeks since we made love. We can do it tomorrow… maybe.’
The gym class you cancelled because you can ‘always make it up next week.’
The meditation you skipped because ‘I don’t feel like it’s really doing anything anyway.’
And onto the bigger stuff, like the book you know you were born to share with the world which sits in your mind as an idea but never manifests into something real. The business you never started. Not saying ‘I love you’ to someone who could really benefit from hearing you say it.
What are you putting off in your life that is creating discomfort or pain? How many damn jumpers are building up in your wardrobe of life? The simple process of recognising these ‘jumper moments’ can profoundly shift the way you feel day to day, and believe it or not, actually alter the course of your life.
(Action 1) Walk around your house and find one thing that you have been Crazy 8-ing over and do it now. Yes, right now. Off you go! I will be here when you get back…
Great, well done! That was the first step in creating a more empowered and meaningful life.
(Action 2) Now, grab a pen and paper and write down three BIG things you wish you had done sooner, that have now become really uncomfortable for you. Are you writing them down? If not, stop reading this post and do it now…
Ok, epic. That was huge!
(Action 3) Now looking at those three things, identify the one thing that tops the list.
If you are like me, then this one thing is most likely your one thing. There is so much I want to do with my music, yet I busy myself with building this business, that film, that app etc etc… Get the point? There is no glory in delaying your one thing, just a buildup of resistance which — if left long enough — starts to seep into all areas of your life and cause dis-ease in the mind, body and soul. Your emotions get harder to deal with (mind), your health starts to suffer (body) and your life purpose (dharma) is delayed yet again (soul).
Back to your one thing now…
Does it make you feel uncomfortable even just thinking about getting it done? If yes, that means it must be very important to you! You are onto a winner here. Some things can be done in one clean swoop, while others are longer term and require commitment to the cause. But what is true for all situations is that they all start with one single, simple step.
(Action 4) Write down that very first step right now.
Done? Amazing.
You are now one step away from changing your life.
Now go #pickupthedamnjumper (tag me on socials and use this hashtag).
P.S. And please share with me below in the comments your one thing...
Thank you for this pre-weekend inspiration! Made me shake up a little and realize how every Christmas I set to lay out my yogi-life journey-recipe book only to realize Christmas passes by so quick and I am left with just ideas again! :)
I say, we make 2018 awesome and work on those self truth priorities!
So tell me, what is your first step for your yoga book Hristina?