Introduction
“Wow, a lot of people are starting to plant this. Let’s follow the trend!”
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| Growing kale using the Wick method |
Suddenly three weeks later, three boxes of kale plants have grown hydroponically with a wick system. Then the plant died because the owner left the village and did not continue.
“Yesterday, my office mate made a challenge to run a few kilos in a month. Tomorrow afternoon I’ll run right away.”
One week later at the office there was a meeting that dragged on, so that it was late at night and the mood for running was ruined. The next day, when I was in the mood, suddenly it started raining. Every day there is always a reason to procrastinate.
It’s too easy to start something. Too few have the consistency to finish.
So that I don’t get disappointed, failed, or embarrassed myself too often, I started self-reflection and understanding. Starting to realize that in some ways, I need to make a “whip” for myself.
There are at least two cases that can serve as examples.
First: Start diligently writing on Medium
Actually, at the beginning of 2020, I have set a target to write one article a week, of which there will be at least 48 posts in 2020.
My intention to write is actually just to express what is on my mind, as well as a means for me to learn new programming technologies. And a few weeks ago I stopped writing for a long time, maybe about 3 months.
Then there was one incident that made my passion for writing appear again.
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| Testimonial |
The message goes to my LinkedIn account. Little things like this can make a “whip” for me to start writing again. Who would have thought that my writing would find its audience.
I also shared a post on the tweet platform with the hashtag #xof48. Through that hashtag, I immediately committed to make 48 posts in a year. Although I don’t know at the end of the year how many writings I’ll be able to produce, at least I’ve set a target that can be achieved.
Second: Running
Since last month my office mate initiated to hold a running challenge. We are free to set any target in a month, as long as the target is achieved. Some friends have set 10, 15, 20, 25, up to 100 km.
Me? Of course set the lowest target, 10 km in a month. For me, being willing to put on my shoes and leave the house is an achievement. Moreover, it wants to run up to 10 km a month.
Because my target is 10 km, and my time is 31 days. So I use a simple strategy that doesn’t burden me. I aim to run four times a month, at any time, with a mileage formula of 1–2–3–4 (first run 1 km, second run 2 km, etc.). Alhamdulillah last month I reached the target of 10 km.
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| The result |
This month my friend made another challenge. I added my running target as far as 15 km. But I plan to run beyond that. The cool term is: under promise, over deliver.
I plan to run once every two days, with a minimum distance of 3 km. Alhamdulillah, this month is still on target and I have run three times with a total distance of 12.45 km.
I can’t imagine, last month it took me a month to cover a distance of 10 km. This month it’s not even halfway, I’ve exceeded that. Hope this is a good start.
You can’t make a baby in one month, by getting nine women pregnant - Warren Buffett.
Most things in life need a process. Find our way to “whip” ourselves. Consistent for me, is one of the most overlooked skills. If we can be consistent, I believe we have a treasure that many people don’t have.
Cheers to all of us who are still in the process. Enjoy it!