99% is Hard, 100% is Easy
I love to dance. I danced competitively all through my school years and then in my forties I decided to join a dance group here on the Gold Coast. For the past couple of years, we've been coming together on a Friday night to rehearse. There's been a group of 9 or 10 of us and we've had an amazing time, lots of laughing and learning some amazing choreography. But this year, we could no longer get the studio for a Friday night, so we had to move to rehearsing on a Tuesday night and this has caused some angst.
Since the start of the year, I’ve been umming and ahhing every Tuesday night about whether to go to dance class or not. On Tuesdays, I'm usually in Brisbane working during the day and after meetings, presentations and fighting the traffic, by 6 o’clock, I’m tired. It’s mid-week and I’m focussed on the ever-growing business to-do list, but enough of my excuses!
The result of all of this was that my once-loved dance class had become hard work! I was frustrated and feeling incompetent. I wasn’t picking up the choreography and was questioning whether I still wanted to be a part of the group.
Then last week, I stopped and slapped myself. (I often have these moments!) I asked myself "What are you doing, Midja? You're making this dance class into hard work when it shouldn't be."
And why was it hard work?
It was hard work because I wasn't committed to it 100%. Every week I was turning up but not really ‘turning up’.
Have you ever experienced this? Maybe it’s a new role at work, maybe a personal relationship, where if you’re honest with yourself, you’re just not 100% committed.
What’s the result?
It's exhausting. It consumes your energy without actually producing any results. It makes you feel stressed and it feels like you're a failure, even though you're not. You're only failing because you're not giving it 100%, and what you do is you fall short of your full potential.
It also results in you experiencing decision fatigue, and I felt that every week. Do I go to dance class tonight or give it a miss? Will I pack my dance bag or not? It just drives you crazy.
As Jack Canfield, the best-selling author of The Success Principles puts it,
“99% is a Bi*ch, 100% is a breeze”.
By being ‘all in’ and committing 100% you:
gain motivation and energy
experience greater momentum
expand your outlook
make room to make other decisions in your life
learn more about yourself and your full potential
feel more in control of your life
feel lighter and life becomes easier
get the results you want.
So, what are the steps you can take to eliminate decision fatigue, get motivated and most importantly achieve what you want in life?
Firstly, consider what needs 100% of your commitment in your life at this time. Get clarity. Decide what you want to give 100% to and why.
Put in the effort. No excuses, no decision making, no thinking. Whatever it is; just do it. Go big or go home.
Keep repeating. Keep turning up every week and make it a new habit.
And as for Tuesday night dance class? No more umming and ahhing. I’m back baby!
Midja x