One of the biggest reasons that people are reluctant to adopt a new time management system like Monday Hour One or a practice like deep work is because they’re worried that it won’t stick—and they’re sure that they’ll beat themselves up if it doesn’t.
Notice that this assumes three things:
- If it doesn’t stick, it was a waste
- If it doesn’t stick, you’ll make it mean bad things about you
- You don’t have control over whether or not it “sticks”
I want you to make a pact with yourself that addresses the first two points: Promise yourself that you’ll get value from the experience and that you’ll support yourself along the way.
Take a bold stance and tell yourself that you’re no longer available for shaming yourself or writing off entire processes as failures. No matter what happens, you’ll learn valuable things about yourself, your desires, and your preferences.
With your new mindset, let’s dig into the last piece: The idea that you don’t have control over whether or not it “sticks.”
Start by trying on the thought: “It’s my job to make it stick.”
I’m going to show you how.
The only reason that processes and tools “don’t stick” for people is that they start focusing on what’s not working and stop doing what is working.
You choose to focus on and believe your own self-sabotaging stories, so when you feel discouraged or embarrassed, you give up on the system altogether, instead of digging in and problem solving.
This is very normal, and it requires practice to unwind.
Ask yourself to commit to “100 reps”: 100 times that you’ll work the system or process; be willing to fail hard without beating yourself up; intentionally pull your attention away from what’s not working; and refocus on what is working and why it’s working.
Here’s the most efficient way to look at what is working, and why:
“What was I thinking, feeling, and doing when it was working?”
Hold yourself to generating a thorough, informative answer.
With this approach, you can’t not get better at making these systems and processes stick, long-term.
