A Season of Focus & Commitment

The now-viral trend, 'The Great Lock In', encourages using September through December as a time to focus on self-improvement and achieving goals. Instead of waiting for January, it's four months to double down on what matters and ask yourself: do you want progress to look back on, or excuses?

But no challenge or trend will do the work for you. If you've started one before and never finished, it's worth asking: What story did I tell myself that let me quit? Did I assume it had to be hard? Did I believe it wasn't possible for me? Did I stop because I didn't "feel" ready?

Showing up Consistently

Starting a new goal can feel intimidating, and while motivation can spark change, it isn’t enough on its own to carry you through. Showing up consistently (even when you don’t feel like it) is what separates progress from excuses. Motivation is unreliable. Some days it's there, some days it isn't. The bridge between wanting something and actually achieving it is discipline, dedication, and desire.

I've hit a streak of 140+ days of getting 10k steps. I definitely didn't feel motivated every single day, but I did have discipline, dedication, and the desire to change. I treated it like a priority until it became an automatic, non-negotiable part of my day.

Being Intentional

It's easy to say "I didn't have time" when the time went towards scrolling social media or binge watching a show. Progress comes from showing up. The real question isn't whether you have time, but if you're finally willing to swap distraction and excuses for progress.

In other words, at some point, it is easier to change than to stay the same. It is easier to take action and feel insecure at the gym than to sit still and experience self-loathing on the couch. — James Clear

You don't need to delete social media or ditch the TV to reach your goals, but you do need to be intentional with them. Are you watching others live their lives more than you're living your own? Are you watching people chase their goals while putting off yours?

The Time Will Pass Anyway

Months from now, you'll either have proof of what daily discipline can do (and the self-trust that comes with it) or more procrastination to dwell on. Either way, the time will have passed.

The problem is that deep down, part of you is still hoping there is a shortcut. But there is not. There is just the work. The repetition. The silence. The part where no one claps and nothing happens for a while. And the truth is most people cannot handle that part. So they quit. Or they stall. Or they start over again and again just to avoid sitting in it. But the time is going to pass either way. So what were you planning to do instead? Scroll? — Jude Fredman