Many mentors influenced my dancing journey. Some of those people were real, and I met them in person. Others are digital personas sharing their experiences and knowledge on blogs, YouTube, or TED talks. One TED talk had a profound effect on my workouts and life in general, and it is:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nzRvMsrnoF8
It is a motivational talk, and its power comes from its ability to be applied to every human activity. Initially, I followed this talk to learn basic breakdance footwork steps (six-step, five-step, four-step) for 30 days; I had problems finding the strength to start doing those steps. I felt embarrassed because those are the basic steps, and I started learning those closer to my 30s’ than my 20s’; I was scared of what others were thinking, and it was blocking me from trying. I was repeating moves I knew from other disciplines to avoid being ashamed.
After watching the talk, I put my anxieties aside and tried 6-, 5-, and 4-steps for 30 days. As you may imagine, it worked! I learned new steps. From this time, I started using the technique of 30 days.
I use it today for workouts, learning, and job tasks. Each case is different. When it is applied to dancing, I try new steps that are outside my comfort zone. When it comes to learning, I use MOOC platforms, and the technique allows me to stay ahead of deadlines and end courses. Last but not least are job tasks. Do you know this kind of work where you must do something incredibly boring daily? You try to avoid it at all costs, but at the end of a month, the pile of boring staff grows so large that you know the next few days will be a disaster. The tweaked 30-day technique sets your mindset to eliminate boring staff before you lose control over it.
How does the technique work? I’ve changed it slightly, but the main points are the same as in the TED talk.
- Define one important task, but you cannot force yourself to do it in normal circumstances.
- You may define another task, but stick to those two max.
- Consider your limitations: Will you be able to do it daily, or maybe every second day? For how long? If you set limits, then stick to those. For example, I choose to learn a new dance step, but I’m overwhelmed by my work. Thus, I decide to repeat it daily but for a very short time, around 5 minutes every day. With these settings, I know that I can do it almost every day and probably in every place. Frequency and repeatability over volume!
- Do it for ~30 days (one month).
- New month: start a new thing, repeat the old process, or just be happy you have a new skill or habit.
Hopefully, you’ll find the technique useful for your development!
Need more time?
Are you an adult and having problems with time for new habits development? Consider using the time management technique from this blog post.