Forged in Fire

It’s easy to become complacent, to go through the motions. Life can become monotonous, and redundant. 

Way back when, near the beginning of this very blog, I wrote about the importance of “reducing friction” in your life. 

A concept popularized in the best-selling book “Atomic Habits” by James Clear, the act of reducing friction is essentially exactly what it sounds like. You are able to reduce situational friction by simply acting with intention in the things that you do – most often out of a place of proactiveness. 

This is something that I find immense value in, and yet something that I struggle to implement from time to time.

Said struggle is real, and it plagues the vast majority of the human population, to varying degrees. 

For me, it comes and goes and right now feels as though it is present more than it is not.

Here’s what I mean:

Just like with literally anything in our lives, there is a certain level of eb and flow. You go through periods of time where things just click and all cylinders are firing in beautiful harmony. Other times, you feel bogged down and uninspired for one reason or another, sometimes without any tangible understanding of why.

Where I see this most prevalent is in the dark hours of the morning, when my early alarm clock sounds (which is another topic that I’ve gone into great detail about.) 

When it’s early, and I’m comfortable in bed. It’s warm and the house is quiet, and my alarm sounds. It’s time to get up and to get after it, yet sometimes I don’t. Or, that snooze button calls my name, and I am later left kicking myself for not allowing enough time to get done what I know full-well needs to be accomplished before my workday begins.

Overcoming such levels of resistance is something that I pride myself on, and something that I stand behind in these rambling tangents that I go on to share bits and pieces of learned wisdom with anyone willing to read.

I preach its importance, yet sometimes struggle to execute and to practice what it is that I preach.

That’s real, and it stands as a stark reminder of our flaws as human beings.

Here I return to reducing friction, or acting with intention. In times such as these where that pesky alarm sounds and those inner voices get the best of me, I’m left searching for methods to put in place that will break down some of the walls which are hellbent on holding me back. 

What are some ways that I can proactively prime my environment in order to set myself up for success? 

How can true intentionality affect my overall levels of productivity from the moment I wake until my head hits the pillow that day?

What are some things that you yourself could and certainly should implement either right this very moment or in your inevitable times of “struggle,” whatever that looks like for you?

Motivation comes and goes – this I’ve come to fully understand. 

Discipline, however, is our ticket. One that is hard-earned and even harder to hold onto, but worth it in ways not capable of measurement. 

Consider these questions I’ve posed, with the context of both my experiences and those of your own, and I intend to dive even deeper a week from now.

Forge on. 

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