Rules, not shackles


You may have noticed that there was no article last Friday/Thursday.

There’s a story behind that.

(Isn’t there always?)

On Friday, I woke up very early cursing the unseasonably early it-is-not-winter-yet-seriously cold and gloom. I had planned to re-do the second session of week 5 of the Couch to 5K program, because I hadn’t read the instructions clearly enough… on Wednesday, instead of two intervals of eight minutes, I had repeated Monday’s three intervals of five minutes. Since the next session was a jog of 20 minutes with no rests, I figured that I needed the extra session so that that one wasn’t too much of a shock.

I woke up to heavy drizzle and overcast, said “Fuck that,” went back to bed. Then I got up dutifully a half hour later, and went for a jog in the rain.

I stepped into the shower feeling a mix of incredible smug pride – jogging, in the rain, for a whole extra session I didn’t have to do, and I owned it, I am so awesome - when I had a sinking realisation.

I had just enough time to shower and eat some toast before my one Marketing Check-Up session of the morning, and then I would have to run out the door pretty much immediately to get into town on time to have coffee with the very lovely from Anecdote, who runs a business about the power of stories and we’ve never met but how could this not go well?

But… I haven’t written today’s article. I won’t be able to before I leave. And I will probably not get home before midday, and I know that I won’t be ready to rock it then.

ShitfuckdamndamnwhatamIgoingtodooooooo?

This website has been up for five months – already? wow. – and in that time I have never missed… Tuesday and Friday, without fail. It’s not quite as impressive as the ten straight months of daily posting over at Be Awesome Online, but it’s the rule! I have to!

As I anxiously scrubbed the stubble and kept the shampoo out of my eyes I may have keened quietly. It’s… important! I have to post an article today! I don’t have any spares, foolish foolish me, and so now I am doooooooomed!

Fortunately, this is the point that the tiny quiet voice I regularly send flowers to spoke up and said, “Who says you have to? It’s your schedule, it’s your decision. You can choose not to write an article today. Maybe you can try tomorrow, instead.”

Oh. Yeah. Right. I am not required to write on my schedule, and my business will not suddenly implode if I don’t. I made the times set because I know I deliver better when I have time-based reminders, but it would be much better to skip an article rather than drive myself bonkers squeezing out seconds to frantically write crap.

The weights vanished. I finished my shower, had a great Check-Up, and skipped off into town for a most fascinating chat with Mark.

The moral of the story

Don’t let your rules become shackles.

(Also: the Couch to 5k program can get anyone jogging for twenty straight minutes in five weeks. It’s amazing.)

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12 Comments - What do YOU think?
  • http://thesocialcaterpillar.com/ Kathryn Hunter

    You know darling, one of the few things that have kept me sane recently is knowing that my blogging schedule exists only in my head. And taking care if me, by definition, means I am not letting me down. Much loves and hugs.

  • http://www.devacoaching.com Sandi Amorim

    When I began blogging last year I promised myself I would post every Monday morning. Some weeks I went through hell to keep my word, but I did and was so proud of myself! After a few months I noticed it had become part of my regular routine and I could relax that rule a bit. It feels amazing when you get that it really is possible to create new, empowering habits and you find yourself sticking to them without the use of shackles!

    And like Kathryn said, that Monday morning rule was only in MY head. No one else knew and that cracked me up :)

  • https://CashAndJoy.com Catherine Caine

    Well said, jellybean!

  • https://CashAndJoy.com Catherine Caine

    Of course, now EVERYONE knows about our schedules. Oh no! :)

  • http://www.mywholehouse.com Do Mi Stauber

    Admission, dearest: I had no idea that you were posting on a schedule. I’m just happy whenever I get one of your articles. If you disappeared completely, I would be devastated! But I wouldn’t even have noticed this little slip-up if you hadn’t told me!

    When I started blogging I promised myself (on Barbara Sher’s and Havi’s advice) not to expect any particular schedule from myself. I’m struggling with this now, in the longest-time-without-a-post I’ve yet gone, but I still think it’s a good “rule.”

    We get to make our own, yay!

  • http://www.mywholehouse.com Do Mi Stauber

    Admission, dearest: I had no idea that you were posting on a schedule. I’m just happy whenever I get one of your articles. If you disappeared completely, I would be devastated! But I wouldn’t even have noticed this little slip-up if you hadn’t told me!

    When I started blogging I promised myself (on Barbara Sher’s and Havi’s advice) not to expect any particular schedule from myself. I’m struggling with this now, in the longest-time-without-a-post I’ve yet gone, but I still think it’s a good “rule.”

    We get to make our own, yay!

  • Anonymous

    This is weird – I have just (as in the last two days, just) decided to change the whole “schedule” thing since it’s not working for me. I’ve got April worked out and then first of May – POW – all new :)

    The weird part (pardon the POW digression, but it was fun) is the timing of your post – it’s like we’re on parallel universe planes sharing the same mind or something :)

  • Melissa Dinwiddie

    Ah, love this, Catherine! You RAWK!

  • http://cruisesurfingz.com roy | cruisesurfingz

    Totally agree! Sometimes you need to allow yourself cheat days. Just not too often or else you will lose momentum, right? :)

  • https://CashAndJoy.com Catherine Caine

    Yay indeed. :)

  • Leigh

    I started the Couch to 5K program a few summers ago, but crapped out after week 2. I hated motivating to go do it, but loved the way I felt accomplished afterwards. Perhaps there’s a way to start again and focus on those after feelings!!

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