How to finally start that thing you've been meaning to start...

There is an article by Sharon Salzberg in the spring 2011 issue of "tricycle"(a magazine aimed at buddhist practitioners), on sustaining a meditation practice. The whole article is worth reading, in my opinion, but below is the part that I found most useful.

"Just put your body there...that's what you have to do. Just put your body there. Your mind will do different things all of the time, but you just put your body there. Because that's the expression of commitment, and the rest will follow from that." 

I just love that, because it resonates on so many levels. It applies to exercise, or developing new habits, or studying, or anything that requires us to show up, really show up, in some way. We come up with all these stories of why we cannot, should not, don't want to do something. Then we come up with more stories about why we can, should, do want to do it. 

Let's say you are thinking about going for a walk. Those story lines can be rolling along: "It looks like rain. I'm tired. The dogs already got exercised today. I'm hungry. I need to work/wash the dishes/fold the laundry/whatever" "I should go. Walking is healthy. I can bring a rain jacket. I want to be the kind of person who walks. The fresh air is good for me." Each of these is a story we tell ourselves. In the meantime, the body finds the rain jacket, ties the shoes, steps out the door. 

The body goes into the other room, folds legs, sits down, breathes deeply. Nothing else is needed.