The Consistent Meditation Challenge: Developing an Iron Will

By Leo Babauta

This month, we’re going to work together to develop consistency and an iron will to stick to something. We’ll do it with a rock-solid commitment to meditating every single day of this month, even if for only 2 minutes.

Most of us are good at committing to something and starting out fairly strong … but then something happens and we start putting it off. We waiver on our commitment. We find excuses, ways to justify not starting, and then avoid thinking about it.

Sound familiar? Well, this month we’re going to try walking a different path.

A path of iron will and consistency.

A path that could change our lives, if we continue down it. And that’s a daily choice we can make.

So this month, I am challenging you to be consistent at daily meditation — just two minutes a day.

Welcome to the Consistent Meditation Challenge!

Here’s how it works:

  1. Sign up here in the forum. Make a solid commitment to doing this challenge every day for the rest of the month (no matter when you are starting).
  2. Set a daily reminder to meditate every morning (or evening if you can’t do mornings, but pick only one time).
  3. Practice. All you have to do is sit still for two minutes a day, and meditate. Tune in to your breath, your body, your surroundings. If you already have a practice, you can do that. I’ll share a couple of choices as well. But the key is two minutes a day, minimum. You can do more if you feel moved, but don’t shoot for 20 or 30 minutes a day, just two minutes, with an option to go longer.
  4. Weekly check-in. Report on all of this weekly here on this thread in the forum, or in the weekly check-in in the Sea Change Facebook group.

That’s it. Make an iron-willed commitment. Be solid in your heart. Don’t question whether you’re going to do it or not, just do it.

You can do this!

Read on for more about why it’s important.

Why Do This Challenge?

You’re not going to get a ton of benefits from two minutes of meditation every day (though it’s still beneficial). The key here isn’t to get immediate meditation benefits, but instead:

  1. To prove to ourselves that we can stick to something
  2. To develop the mindset of being fully committed to something
  3. To learn how to create structure that will help us stick to that commitment
  4. To be more solid in our commitments going forward, which will have huge benefits for years to come

Imagine having a much deeper trust in your ability to stick to something. It would be a different you. You’d learn how to stick to healthier eating, exercise, writing, and more. One small change at a time, you’d stick to your commitments.

Is this guaranteed? Of course not. Things are always messier than that. But let’s be open to the idea that we can do it this month, and then see if we’re willing to walk that path beyond the month.

I’m going to walk this path of the iron-willed heart. Join me!

Sign up for the Consistent Meditation Challenge here in the forum.

Articles in this series: