Three Ways to Take Mindful Action

People overcomplicate things - most everything. We overthink our lifestyle, actions and lack thereof, health, strategy, and purpose. And every moment we spend doing so is a strike against our timeline and our opportunity to become the person we most want to be.

Over planning and overthinking lead to stagnancy and lack of growth. Often, the way of life we desire is directly on the other side of making simple decisions outside of our comfort zone, familiarity, and routines. Making a decision today based upon the type of person you want to become is a step towards embodying that version of you. i.e., a runner, an entrepreneur, a creator, a healthy and active person, any version of you that you wish to be is available. You just have to start.

Here are some steps to help you take action before you’re ready and how doing it mindfully can solidify your habits and allow you to enjoy them more as you progress.

Imperfect Action

Don’t sit on your plans. I was a self-proclaimed runner in one day - and decided this for myself by taking action immediately. I’ve been into running in the past, and on my list of things I’d like to accomplish is a triathlon. Up until recently, I wasn’t even running regularly. If I want to achieve this goal at any point in my life, it’s pretty safe to say that I need to be able to do the activities. In the past, it would look like a week or two of planning, “okay, I can squeeze it in here and do this after, and my whole day will look like this…” nope, I decided the night before and woke up, put on my running attire and jumped into it. If you want to be a runner, a writer, a creator, a chef, a healthy person - take action and do the things the kind of person you want to be would do. Take a small imperfect step every day towards the type of person you want to be, and before you know it, you’ll be running your final mile in a triathlon.

Don’t Overdo It Before You Even Start

Don’t surround your activity with all kinds of fluff. You don’t need a ton of gear to go running, do yoga, be an artist, gardener, or healthy eater - insert your beautiful goals here. Obviously, some slight exceptions like a pen, running shoes, and the basics allow you to do said thing. Once you get the legitimate essentials, though, we can quickly overthink it by ensuring it’s all just right before even giving ourselves the chance to fall in love with the activity itself. Start now, and the rest will find its way to you, and you may even realize how little you actually need.

Integrate Mindfully

Lean into your practice with presence. Go for your run in silence, write your book, draw a picture, clean your house, cook your healthy meal and eat it in peace. When we overload our moments with a curated soundtrack, we are likely being pulled away from the experience. When we practice tasks with the sounds they create on their own, we can find presence in the moment and joy in the task itself. The chopping of your fresh vegetables, the impact of your feet on the pavement, and the sound of your breath in any activity, all of the clinks and moments of life surrounding you are reminders that you are here, creating, you are present and alive. It’s all well and good to select a playlist or a podcast to play for the ultimate motivating and inspiring experience - I’m quick to fill my moments with feel-good sounds and lessons. Yet, it's profoundly more impactful when we give intentional space to moments for mindful presence and intake of the experience.

Whatever your goals are, allow them to come and surprise you, elevate and inspire you. Sitting on them out of fear, laziness, or whatever reasons we humans are so good at coming up with will only inhibit your massive capacity for life, fulfillment, and joy. Do what scares you, what lights you up, what you wish you started doing ten years ago - do the damn thing and do it with pride!