Day 26 of IDJSIJ Challenge – Doing Jack Shit Consistently Is the Lesson

I can tell I’m at the end of this challenge, because I’m losing steam. Today even though I had time to write early in the afternoon when it was perfectly quiet and no one was home, instead I started getting tax documents organized. Not exactly anyone’s idea of fun.

At the beginning of the month, when I was full of inspiration and energy, writing would have been the only goal of the day. But my challenge times out at the end of January, and now that I’m close, I can feel my focus fade. I’m looking around at all the other things that I want to do, or that need to be done. I put in my effort for nearly a whole month! Do I really need to keep going with this?

Here’s the crux of that January challenge problem, and most of those brilliant resolutions we make at the beginning of the year. January ends, the inspiration fades, our old habits creep back, and suddenly that sparkly new you doesn’t seem so desirable anymore. But before we both throw the whole thing out, it’s time to reassess. What have I gained? What should stay? What should go?

My January practice of 20 minutes of a rest pose during the day is an easy one to keep. It fits well into my day in those forgotten minutes where I would normally be zoning out on Facebook or putzing around the house. My practice of writing and posting every day though, is different in that it doesn’t always fit in seamlessly into the day. It took real commitment, and sometimes had me up too late or ignoring the family because I had to get it done. I think writing every day as a practice was great, but that will need to dial back a little bit when February hits.

This is the best part of any long term practice, and the reason why these are important to do. If you do something every day consistently for a long period, it’s easy to see what you’ve gained and what is different about your life from when you started. You can decide what parts of the practice are worth keeping and what needs to change to fit better into the structure of your world. But you don’t get to see that if you quit after a week, or only practice sporadically. The gift of the effort is the discernment you receive in the end.

I haven’t been inspired to write about what I think and feel since before covid. The gift of my effort this month has been the feeling that I have found my higher purpose. Writing about my yoga practices and sharing the techniques I’ve learned in the last 12 years of study has been completely joyful for me, and I know I will continue. Thank you all for reading and being supportive and sweet with your comments! I’m sure my first internet troll experience is out there somewhere, and hopefully I will not take myself so seriously that I can’t handle it.
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#yoga #writing #yogapractice #yogachallenge #restorativeyoga ​