I love this phrase – totally lifted from BoJack Horseman. For me, it contains some profound truth. We’re all very lucky and privileged in many ways, and we should be grateful for that. But… at the same time… even regular normal day-to-day life can be really hard work. Sometimes it’s just exhausting.
Over time, I’ve applied several strategies to balance my life out better. These are the familiar themes around: regular exercise, watching what I put into my body, practicing mindfulness, and ensuring quality sleep (OMG – sleep. Fixing my sleep changed my life!). These habits are the foundations of wellbeing, but as unconnected abstract initiatives, they add up to a lot of effort. So the real key lies in how you embed these into your daily (yes daily) life so that, rather than requiring even more effort, they become an instinctive inherent part of who you are.
For me, this is where having a routine is really, really important. I don’t mean a boring, stuck-in-the-hamster-wheel kind of routine, but something that is empowering and helps me feel balanced and in control of my life and the decisions I make.
At the heart of ‘It gets easier every day (but you have to do it every day)’ is the concept of showing up. Showing up means being present and committing to yourself (and others) – every single day. It’s about perseverance and dedication, building resilience and momentum. Of course some days are harder than others, and this is where the routine comes in: Sometimes you carry the routine; sometimes the routine carries you.
Most good things in life require commitment, effort, and purpose. Whether it’s maintaining physical health, cultivating relationships, or achieving career goals, consistency is a big factor. You can’t expect to achieve your goals overnight, and you can’t take long breaks from your commitments and still expect to maintain progress. It’s about showing up every day and putting in the work.
There’s also something about cherishing small increments. Hacks and short-cuts are great when they occur, but the daily journey of our lives is much more about making things better one small step at a time. Each day, the effort you put in makes the next day a little easier. By showing up every day, you create a compounding effect where each effort builds on the previous one, leading to meaningful and long-lasting changes that you won’t get from quick fixes.
So there you have it – finding strength in routine, cherishing small increments, and understanding that you need commitment and effort to reach meaningful goals. Show up for yourself, be present, commit to your future self, and persevere through the ups and downs. You don’t need to master all this, just start it. Take one small step at a time. You’ll find that over time, the daily effort becomes less of a burden and more of a path to a fulfilment. Just see how far you’ve come!
Finally, remember it gets easier every day (but you have to do it every day).
K Shel Blogs 