Show Up Even When It Hardly Counts

This topic is top of mind because it’s happening to me right now. I was with a big group in Mexico this weekend leading a housebild project and I got sick. It has taken a lot out of me the last two days but even so I’m choosing to show up to the core commitments I’ve made.

People underestimate the value of showing up in some capacity. It doesn’t need to be to the same extent as you usually do, or with the same amount of force, but putting small reps in goes a long way. That’s because showing up leverages the true physics of consistency and momentum.

One of my favorite stories of all time is featured in Darren Hardy’s book “The Compound Effect”, and it's the story about the pump well. Without retelling the whole thing, it basically uses the metaphor of drawing water from the bottom of a well and likens it to the power of consistency. Once you’ve worked hard pumping the lever to no avail, eventually you pressurize the whole system and get a full flow of water coming out of the spout with minimal effort. Consistency works the same way where you get outsized return from little investment.

What I’m proposing is to not underestimate the power of a small pump. If you skip a day, then the well depressurizes a fair amount. But if you put a small pump in you maintain the pressure gradient and offset the progress that would have been undone had you done nothing. 

So for example, today as I’m not feeling well I chose not to skip my exercise, and instead I incorporated a light bodyweight and stretching routine. While feeling poorly caused me to spend more time than usual on my phone, it wasn’t to the point that it totally dominated my day because I caught myself. 

While it’s true that I didn’t live up to the high standards I have for myself in certain areas today, I also didn’t completely blow them off entirely. And it’s these small positive choices that are in alignment with the habits and standards I’ve cultivated that keep me from losing momentum.

Show up in the ways that the moments you’re facing require and you’ll be able to maintain that higher level of performance more easily, and for longer.