The long-sober drunkard falls off the wagon…then sobers up. He begins again, again.

The dieter wrecks her diet…then makes the next meal a healthy one. She begins again, again.

The ex-smoker bums a cigarette…then throws away a half-full pack the next day. He begins again, again.

The runner skips a day or two…then laces up and hits the road. She begins again, again.

The writer stops writing…then simply begins again, again.

Beginning again, again. It’s one of life’s little saving graces—starting again on something you stopped.

Why did you stop doing something you wanted to do?

Why did you stop doing something that is good for you?

For now, who cares why?

For now, simply begin, again.

It’s a human thing, starting then stopping then starting again. Too often we view it as a short-coming, a failure of our discipline or willpower or character.

But really it’s practice.

After all, repetition is the key to improvement. The more we repeat something, the better we get at it. We may never be as great as we hope, but we’ll be better than when we started the first time.

And the second time we started. And third time. And so on.

The truth: In that present moment when we begin again, again, we’re instantly better than in that past moment when we stopped.

Even more truth: We’re actually better in the present moment when we begin again, again than in that hoped-for future moment when we reach our goal. Because future moments aren’t real yet. And not to be too dark about it, but future moments may never come.

This moment here, it’s as real as we get.

So set aside a few minutes today and recommit yourself to whatever it is you’ve stopped doing and wished you hadn’t. Hell, set aside just 30 seconds. That’s 30 seconds more than you did yesterday.

Simply begin again, again.

Right now.

 

7 Things You Can Do To Begin Again, Again

1. Begin again, again with a small step. Right now, do something tiny and possible and manageable. An act that nudges you just a little closer to where you want to be.

2. Tomorrow, take another tiny step. After you begin again, again, always make the very next thing you do as simple and easy as the first. Then you’ll have taken two steps down your new path. Don’t worry, eventually you’ll gain momentum and take bigger steps.

3.  Focus on what you’re accomplishing. Don’t worry about the fantasy of how much you should be doing. Right now your focus is on building a good habit. You’re in the process of beginning again, again and that’s HUGE.

4. Gradually take bigger steps. After a while, you’ll start to gain momentum, you’ll want to take bigger step (i.e. run farther, practice more, eat healthier, go a whole day without a smoke, etc.) Whatever it is you’ve been doing, increase it a tiny bit the next time but so that, again, it’s attainable.

5. Get comfortable with being uncomfortable. Growth is change and at some point change makes all of us uncomfortable. Notice that you’re uncomfortable. It’s ok. There’s nothing wrong with being uncomfortable. In fact it’s a good thing; it means you’re moving from where you were to where you want to be. So take another small step. Eventually the uncomfortable feeling will fade.

6. Remember to take a bow. Enjoy the satisfaction you earn from the step you take, revel in what you accomplish and hunger for the next step.

7. Slip, fall, get back up, repeat. Falling gives you the opportunity to pick yourself up. Each time you pick yourself up, you get stronger. So when you falter — and you will – let it go. Don’t waste time and energy beating yourself up. Just begin again, again.

Right now.