I was reading back through some old snippets of writing recently, searching for inspiration and I came upon this email I had written at the beginning of 2019. Nearly three years later, I really needed to read it and be reminded to KEEP SHOWING UP on a daily basis. Consistency is key, but you can't be consistent if you quit showing up in the first place.
I wanted to repost it here today for those of you who might also need this reminder as we close out another treacherous year together.
>>>REPOST FROM 2019<<<
Can you believe it’s already January 11th? I did all this “dream” work in the last few months of 2018 to get a jump start, yet here I am on January 11 feeling like I’ve been hit by a truck, tempted to throw it all out the window and binge Netflix all day!
If you don’t follow me on social media, we were in Austin the last several days swearing my husband in for his fourth legislative term in the Texas House of Representatives. It was a whirlwind few days where we hosted loads of friends and family, talked to the point of losing our voices and sleep alluded us.
The kids and I got back home late Tuesday night and that alarm on Wednesday morning came swiftly. It was ugly, friend. There were tears involved (that may or may not have been my own), and sheer exhaustion. It’s now Friday morning and I still feel we haven’t recovered.
But after I dropped the big kids at school Wednesday, I looked at our new bike. ‘Looked’ might be sugar coating it just a tad - it’s probably more like 'glared'. I did NOT want to do it. I can’t even begin to describe how badly I did not want to get on that bike. But when I got honest with myself, even while I sat in my tiredness, I knew if I didn’t do it today then Wednesday would turn into Thursday. Pretty soon Thursday would turn into next week and eventually I’d have a new bike with spider webs on it.
So I did it.
I can’t believe it, but I got on it and made my legs move for thirty minutes. It wasn’t pretty - in fact it was kind of ugly - but I got it done. I checked it off, I made it worth it, even if it wasn’t my best work out ever. This isn’t normally who I am, y'all, but I showed up!
There's something you have to know about me. I am the WORST at showing up. I am almost always the first one to quit. I get excited about the thing, commit to doing it, and then a few days later when I’m bored (or even the least bit tired), I stop. I put down the paint brush, I stop typing the keys, I quit lacing up my shoes, I reach for allllll the sugar and Cheetos.
But this year, instead of claiming that as part of my identity - I’ve decided to shake off every missed assignment and start again. Rather than tell myself I can’t keep going if I have already failed, I will show up one more time. And repeat.
It doesn’t have to be all or nothing, if I just keep showing up to do something. One small change at a time.
It’s Friday, friend, and maybe your week hasn’t looked like you thought it would - or even how you wanted it to. Maybe you’ve had a list a mile long and only gotten to two or three things. Perhaps you have failed to meet your new goals every. single. day.
Show up today.
Stop putting what you did yesterday on what you can do today. Quit quitting. Do not tell yourself one more time it’s not worth it - I have to believe that it is. We can change our old habits together and make new ones.
We can do this - you can do this. Whatever this is for you. Just keep showing up.
"Servants, do what you’re told by your earthly masters. And don’t just do the minimum that will get you by. Do your best. Work from the heart for your real Master, for God, confident that you’ll get paid in full when you come into your inheritance. Keep in mind always that the ultimate Master you’re serving is Christ. The sullen servant who does shoddy work will be held responsible. Being a follower of Jesus doesn’t cover up bad work.” Colossians 3:23-25, The Message