The best way to become something is by doing it

I’ve known this for a long time, but a few days ago I came into this realization yet again and through the back door. It happened for me, oh about Decemeber 31^st. That was the day I was preparing my Year in Review blog post.

I was linking up all the articles and printing out the ones that I hadn’t printed yet. (This might be TMI but I keep them in a binder in the bathroom where my husband reads them! Wink. Wink.)

I digress. The point is as I was compiling my posts into a Mama List I realized, “Holy shit, I have quite a large body of work here.” Actually, I have that thing I set out to have—a regularly updated blog with hopefully interesting and insightful content. When I made the commitment to myself to do it—I wasn’t totally sure of the outcome. I mean I have had other blogs, none of which I still update. And largely I didn’t know how it was going to fit into the other demands in my life. But I committed to it—for myself—because I wanted to do it.

I should tell you the backstory. After I had my second child I started carving out time for myself every week where I went into my studio, alone. I made no commitments about what I would do during this time, even to myself. The only rule I had was that I would not take care of any house holding or parenting business during these hours. The rest was up to me.

In giving myself the permission to do whatever I wanted gradually I found that what I always wanted to do was write. During year two of my daughter’s life that evolved into a commitment (to myself) to blog regularly.

You know how sometimes when you are going along and doing the steps you lose sight of what they are adding up to? You’re so focused on the tiny required actions you forget you are actually accomplishing something. Well that happened to me and my blog… until precisely 6 days ago.

There is a lovely feeling in realizing that you have become something, especially if it is something you’ve always been—but now have something to show for it. I mean I’ve written two books, so I do have things to show for myself in terms of my writing—but I’m proud of what I’ve accomplished over the last year, and that I’ve “accidentally” produced a body of work, in the form of blogs, that I feel good about. And hopefully as is also the goal, it has also satisfied others.

So this is your reminder too—if you want to be something you’ve got to actually do it. You become it more as you go along, because you gain experience doing that thing. Not to mention it also adds up to accomplishment and satisfaction. And then you have that wonderful warms-your-bones experience where you suddenly realize that all those little steps have made something. And equally impactful, will continue to add up to more.

Do you get what I’m saying here? I see this a lot, especially in younger people, or people who are striving to establish a hold on a piece of their soul that they haven’t previously given enough time to. Sometimes when you are standing on the precipice of becoming something— it seems so confusing as to how to get there. But I’ll repeat what I’ve said—it’s a lesson I’ve learned from experience more than once: To become something you’ve got to do it.

Now is a great day to start. Make your commitment. Plan your steps. Plod along for the joy of it and because of your commitment to yourself (even if no one else knows). And in 12 months time look back on what you’ve done—see what you’ve become.

Then shoot me an email or a comment so I can celebrate with you!