A reader’s SIDCHAs

August 13, 2015 by Joshua
in Exercises, Fitness, Habits, SIDCHAs

A reader and friend wrote about his SIDCHAs:

Hey Josh,

How’s it going? I was reading your blog and found your SIDCHA example and explanation post. Really enjoyed the distillation of it all, especially as my insecurities have many times led me to search for info rather than action. One thing I have been (attempting to) do is a Daily Review. It’s just a checklist of all the SIDCHAs I do:

[X] Reflect on Purpose
[X] Make the bed
[X] Stretch
[X] Review Calendar
[X] Write Journal
[X]Plan Today :: Asana > DuoLingo > Headspace

Sometimes its hard to even do those things but I feel like the habit of looking at the daily review is that first important foundation of confidence. At the top I mark off each the day completed so on Sunday I can see how the week went. Most days I look at it I do get 90% of those done and I feel it helps bundle the more minor (non-changeling) daily activities into a more complete SIDCHA with higher weekly reward on top of the daily challenge.

I love reading about people doing Sidchas. As he noted, they move you to action, which overcomes insecurities, and improves your life. Too many people spend too much time reading about what they could, should, or would do and not do. He’s doing.

I wrote back:

Thanks for sharing. I love hearing from friends and readers about Sidchas (and burpees).

Yours are a great start. I predict the longer you do them, the more you’ll take for granted that you do them and increase their challenge. Like you won’t think of not making your bed or putting it on a checklist. And the stretching will start to include push-ups or lifting or something like that, or more stretches. And instead of doing 90%, you’ll do 100% and feel like doing more.

I’m not sure. That’s how it’s worked for me, because it keeps building more confidence everywhere else. Like the exercise led to my developing a six-pack at 43 years old, which I never had before, and which motivated me to exercise more and eat more healthy. The writing sidcha leads me in other directions.

I’m curious how your practice will develop over time.

He wrote back:

I do hope it will start building into bigger things, though what has happened in the past is I get derailed. So I end up starting back a couple days / a week or two later feeling upset because I lost momentum – however the silver lining is I have this structure in place that helps me get back on the wagon without needing a lot of will power. That’s where I am at right now, and I still feel susceptible to pitches from webinars.

I predict keeping up his Sidchas will mean he’ll be able to lead webinars on his growth if he wants, since it won’t end with what he’s doing now. It will grow and it will be around what he uniquely values.

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