scott stonehouse

Some days you just aren’t feeling it.

You don’t have the energy to work out.

You don’t have the time to write.

You don’t have the motivation to practice.

The temptation is to do nothing.

Nada.

Zero.

A Zero Day is a day that you do nothing toward your goal or habit.* Zero Days are poison for your future success. Not because of the impact on your goal, but because of the impact on your identity.

Will missing one work out cause you to lose all of the strength you have developed? No.

Will missing one night of writing derail your book? No.

Will not practicing for one night ruin your skills? No.

But a Zero Day isn’t neutral. It is a vote against the identity you want to build and maintain. It is a piece of evidence that you are not someone who works out, writes, or practices. That is the real harm.

Our identities are sometimes weak or fragile, especially when we begin a habit or start on a goal. They need protection. They need encouragement. That means every vote counts. Small votes “for” are infinitely better than votes “against”.

Which is why a bad day working out is better than no day working out, a crappy day writing is better than no day writing, and a few minutes of practice are better than none.

So set a ridiculously small bar of what “counts” for you. For me, doing 10 push-ups counts as working out. Reading one chapter of Proverbs or Psalms counts as reading my Bible. I rarely ever do those minimums but there have been days when I have. And it still counts. And I register another vote that says, “Scott is the kind of guy who works out” or “Scott is the kind a guy who reads his Bible.”

Other ways of saying this are “Some Beats None” and “Never Do Nothing”. Use whichever one you like best as a reminder or soundtrack. Or use them all.

This is how real, enduring change occurs. One vote at a time. One day at a time. Staying encouraged and in the game. The most important days are often the lousiest days because they could have been a Zero Day, but they weren’t.

Commit to No Zero Days.

[* Some goals or habits are daily. Some aren’t. The point is No Zero Days when you planned to do something toward your goal or habit.]