The Power of ‘Just Showing Up’

Everyone has something that they’re passionate about – or at least have hobbies they really enjoy. For me, that means weight lifting & yoga. I absolutely despise when people say, “half the battle is just showing up”. It sounds… arrogant? lazy? cliché? The problem is that it is too simple a solution – or is it?

Part of the reason that people don’t get things done is that they think about it too much. You’re worrying how you’ll fill the rest of this article with words if you just dive in & don’t meander around the problem for a little while first. You will sit & think about the best way to stretch for 15 minutes instead of systematically stretching for 15 minutes. Why are we so subconsciously scared to head towards completion of something?

Last night I saw that episode of The Office where they were talking about New Year’s Resolutions (I have a problem with The Office, but I am expanding my horizons with other shows). Again, everyone is talking about their resolutions & how hard it’s been to keep them or how quickly they faded away. Michael Scott, the sales manager, asks “what is wrong with you people? Since when is pretty good okay? Can’t you stick to anything? Then he goes onto say how his goal was to floss & he did it @ 12:01.

Not every goal is that easy to accomplish, but every goal is that easy to get started. The extremely difficult thing about an ongoing goal such as weight lifting, running, or any daily activity is that it can be difficult to summon the energy & willpower to get moving. And beyond that, these goals are rolling & results are not instantaneous – at first, there are no true goals being met other than… showing up day after day.

This is not sustainable, “to just show up”, but it is mandatory to success. Every step towards the goal is a step in the right direction – every intentional step is a stride in the right direction. I believe that with showing up, intention must inevitably follow. Being active in the present makes you aware of what needs to be done – just showing up is like being thrown into the ring with wild animals & you must adapt to survive.

Some of my best workouts have come from days when I’m just not feeling it, or I’ve had a slight headache all day. If I force myself to follow through, there is much greater satisfaction in overcoming not only your goals, but also your Self.

Our bodies are well-equipped with a stress-response system & I believe that is what helps you succeed in the ‘just showing up method’ – that is, the fight or flight response. Through evolutionary psychology, our stress has been thought to manifest itself in one of 2 ways Fight or Flight – stand & fight the threat or run away from it. Both will lead to the ultimate goal of survival – but that is the difference between our primal ancestors & us – they fought just to survive life & we are fighting to live the best life.