I was recently talking with someone about their daily routine, and I suggested they should be writing every day.
Most people would agree that's decent advice. Nothing revolutionary, but it won't' hurt to do it.
However, with more context, you could argue that it's irrelevant or even stupid advice.
You see, this person wasn't interested in becoming a writer. They weren't interested in sharing their writing online. There was no event they were preparing for where writing well would help them.
So what is the reason, then, for telling someone like them to write every day?
Well, why should there be a reason in the first place?
This reminded me of David Goggins' idea of performing without purpose.
And I know, I know... Some of you don't like Goggins' over-the-top persona. You can't take him seriously. And there are those who are handicapped by the idea that life wisdom is only found in the writings of gray-haired men who wore suits and spent the majority of their lives in their study rooms.
But put your prejudice aside and trust me on this one.
What does performing without purpose mean? It means that you don't have a specific goal that you are working towards. You are just putting in the work anyway.
Goggins gives the example that most people usually need an upcoming race to motivate them to go out for a run. They are preparing for a 10K, half marathon, or marathon. That's what gets them to show up for their run every day. But whenever they aren't preparing for a race, they start slacking. Without something specific to work towards, they have no inner drive.
Don't get me wrong; no one is denying the value of goals. Especially when starting out. For any new activity that you are getting into, setting a goal is one of the best ways to stay engaged and consistent. It gives you structure and clarity. That's why going through an effective goal-setting system I've been using is one of the first steps when joining the Sisyphus Society. (shameless plug)
4 days left to join the Sisyphus Society waitlist.
But this amazing ability to set new goals can make us overlook the importance of being able to work without them.
Goggins says the idea behind performing without purpose is that, when the purpose is there, you'll be ready. I love that.
At the end of the day, you're trying to become a more complete human being. And every goal is just a point on your journey, not the point of your journey. Some of those goals are great milestones. They find you instead of you choosing them. But some goals, or most of them, are created by you to make the journey more interesting. And that's amazing. It would be a grave mistake not to use this essential human ability to set goals.
However, you should be able to continue putting in the work even without those smaller milestones. That's because the goals that you set for yourself eventually stop being convincing enough. Ask anyone who's been doing something consistently for years. It becomes progressively harder to find a new milestone that will light up that inner fire. But putting in the work remains equally important.
That's why you should practice performing without purpose.
Not because you plan on living without it. But because you want to stay ready for when you find the purpose, or it finds you.
You're probably not surprised that I think writing is one of the best things to do without purpose. No matter what kind of purpose you have in the future, being able to articulate your thoughts will be of immense help. Even if you are sharing your thoughts only with yourself, or especially in that case.
Another obvious choice is reading. You can't rely solely on your own experiences to form a useful and healthy perspective on life.
And, of course, some form of physical training. Do I really need to explain that one?
At end of the day, you choose what you will do without purpose. Those are just the three things that have improved my life the most even when I was doing them with no goal in front of me.
Whatever you choose, wake up determined to do it. Not because there is a milestone you need to reach in 30 days. But because every day and every bout of effort is a milestone in itself.
It's like you're crossing the finish line every day, but there's also no final finish line. Does that make sense? I hope it does.
Thank you for reading.
P.S. Join the Sisyphus Society waitlist if you want to be a part of community of people who do the work and encourage others to do it as well.
4 days left to join the waitlist. After that we will have an enrollment period lasting only 48 hours.
Free Resources:
My free ebook: The Lost Art of Reading
Paid Resources:
The Art of Showing Up: A Clear and Practical Method for Mastering Consistency
The Gold Pill: Timeless Ideas for a Life Worth Living
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For me, an easier way to think about this is to say that goals are great- destinations are great and fun and valuable, but we must fall in love with the journey in order to be truly sustainable. For example, I’m a competitive ballroom dancer. An upcoming competition is motivating and exciting, but I know that if I’m not continually falling in love with being the studio working and sweating and sometimes crying, if I’m not in love with that part of it, ballroom isn’t a sustainable activity for me.