So much becomes possible when we “show up” regularly.
Some of the best people I’ve known are those who make a habit of showing up for others. They show up, take care of things, and do their best—changing the lives of others for the better through their actions.
If you can show up regularly, things will start to change.
What Does ‘Showing Up’ Look Like?
Showing up can be applied to any area of our lives:
- Fitness: When I wanted to start running, my goal was just to lace up my shoes and get out the door. I didn’t have to run if I didn’t feel like it—I just needed to show up. Eventually, I ran my first marathon! The same thing applies if you want to work out at the gym, do yoga regularly, or play a sport. Just show up, and you’ll see progress.
- Finances: For me, this looks like opening my budget app every day and sorting through transactions, making sure I’m on plan—making payments and adjustments as needed. It takes five to 10 minutes per day. For someone else, it might be some other small steps—but showing up regularly can make a huge difference in getting finances in order.
- Meditation: Practicing mindfulness through meditation can have a huge impact on your life—but only if you’re showing up regularly and practicing. I’ve gone through many periods in which I struggled to show up, mostly because I always feel too busy. However, if I can remind myself that all I need to do is get on the cushion, then my meditation practice starts to happen.
- Big project: A writer friend of mine told me that he just needed to get to his chair at a certain time, and his book would get written. That’s what showing up for a project looks like.
- Clutter: If you have mountains of clutter, can you take 10 minutes a day to clear out some of it? Slowly, the mountains shrink to molehills.
- Email: Overflowing inbox? Have a daily session in which you clear out less-important emails—archive and quick replies—and try to reply to a few of the more-important ones.
- Learning: We learn best when we’re consistently showing up. Whether it’s reading through a textbook or studying Anki flashcards, you’ll see great progress by just showing up regularly.
You get the picture. A habit of showing up regularly can transform any area of your life, including relationships, your career, and even the small tasks that can feel overwhelming.
How to Build the Habit of Showing Up
So how do we build the habit of showing up? With intention and practice.
Start with the intention: Pick one area, such as one of those above, and intend to just show up in that area every day—or at least, most days. It’s not about perfection. Just start with the intention. Write it down.
Then practice:
- Set a reminder so you don’t forget. Also, put it on your calendar.
- Start with the smallest amount that you can show up. Just lace up your shoes, get yourself in the chair, or open the document. Don’t get ambitious.
- Each day, when you practice, see if there’s something that you can enjoy about showing up. Can you find a little bit of fun, play, curiosity, or gratitude?
- What could be lovely about showing up?
- Acknowledge yourself each time you do show up. Drop the habit of self-criticism and discouraging yourself, and instead practice encouraging yourself.
- Appreciate what starts happening after a week or so of showing up regularly.
It’s an underappreciated skill, but I think showing up regularly changes everything.