Begin again, especially on ordinary days. ~ Pema Chödrön
Chödrön’s words are wise. There need not be a special date in the calendar — a plain vanilla Tuesday or unremarkable Thursday can be an ideal day to start. The 11th or 23rd day of the month. February or May. Any of these can be the occasion for a beginning or relaunch.
I put a lot of stock in the Solstice/ Equinox, the 1sts and 15ths, January, Labour Day, the first day of school, or my birthday. Waiting for them to swing around again can mean lost opportunities to ‘get on with gettin’ on’. Preparing to start can get in the way of just bloody starting.
I think I convinced myself that if it’s a ‘special day’, then the likelihood of success increases. In fact, the likelihood of success merely goes up as I simply do whatever it is I want to do; otherwise, I am practicing active avoidance. It puts unnecessary pressure on the date in question and all the dates that follow.
“Never miss a second day”, as James Clear says. In other words, if you miss one day of your chosen activity, no big deal. But never miss the second. One is a miss; two becomes a pattern.
Simply pick up where we left off, continuing to write, clean, run, garden, or start a business. It’s an ordinary day, ready to start or resume the practice. The ‘occasion’ is being in motion.
What’s important about the timing of (re)launching a practice? Does it help or hinder you?
The picture here is stunning, and I also appreciate the James Clear quote.
I particularly like 'don't miss the second day' perspective. Wise, wise owl.