By Leo Babauta
So let’s say you signed up for the Iron Will Challenge (aka the Consistent Meditation Challenge), but you’re struggling a bit.
Let’s talk abut how to deal with that, because struggle isn’t a problem in this challenge.
What I’d like you to do is bring some radical curiosity to the challenge. That means, instead of beating yourself up or closing down to the experience, get curious.
Some things to get curious about:
- Yes, I feel like putting it off … can I just be curious about the feeling of wanting to put it off? Can I let myself feel that, and see how it feels to not want to do something?
- What am I feeling that makes me want to postpone my commitment? Am I tired, stressed, lonely, sad, angry, frustrated? Get curious about how that feels, and what it makes you want to do.
- Can I be curious about what it’s like to do the challenge anyway, even though I don’t feel like it? Maybe just the first step?
- Yes, I missed a day of doing this challenge … can I be curious about what it feels like to miss a day? Do I beat myself up or feel shame? Am I trying to avoid thinking about it? Do I rationalize it? What made me miss it? Was I feeling tired, stressed, lonely, sad, angry, frustrated?
- If I missed a day, can I be curious about what it would be like to recommit myself?
- Yes, I feel like I’m doing this wrong … can I be curious about this feeling of uncertainty? What does it feel like to not know what I’m doing? What does it feel like to think I’m wrong about something?
- Can I be curious about doing it anyway, even if I think I’m doing it wrong? What would that be like?
- Yes, I keep forgetting … what does that feel like, to forget something I committed to? What would it feel like to pause and commit myself even more right now, rather than run from my commitment?
- What would it feel like to ask for accountability and set multiple reminders, so I’m even more committed?
- Yes, I am doing the meditation but just going through the motions … can I be curious about what it feels like to just go through the motions, to phone it in? Is this a familiar feeling to me, to not really be all in?
- What would it be like to really feel all in? What would it be like to not only care, but super care? What would it be like to be fully devoted to something, like it’s the most important thing in the world?
As you can see, there are no problems in this challenge … only opportunities for curiosity.
In this challenge, we’re getting curious about what it’s like to commit ourselves with an iron will. And if we’re not doing it, then we can be curious about why. We can be curious about what it would be like to start to shift, even a little.
Practice radical curiosity with your commitment today.