You nailed it! I have been doing this for over 20 years - and like you said I started off with a bang. By week three I was bored and ready to try something else. This year (2025) I started sticking with things longer - I still get distracted but I’ve seen the benefits when you stick with it.
Thanks Gwen! I recognize that pattern well. Early energy, then restlessness, then the urge to reset instead of stay. Learning to sit with that middle stretch taught me more than any strong start ever did. Thank you for your comment.
so true "It is not clarity. It is discomfort avoidance." I used to be like this. Then one day I said to myself when I was ready to quit (or reached the "resistance.") "what would happen if I just kept going" It has worked for me.
Thanks Deborah. I like how you described choosing each other in smaller windows instead of relying on a forever promise. That kind of honesty about growth and change takes pressure off and invites real presence. Over time, those repeated choices start to mean more than certainty ever could. Proof shows up quietly, in how you keep coming back and how trust builds without guarantees. Thank you for your comment.
Thanks Karen. That moment right at resistance tells you more than any early momentum ever does. Most people never stay long enough to hear what it is saying. Thank you for your comment.
Oh how many times the idea of having something perfect before starting or sharing, deciding now what it will shape for the rest of my life stopped so many amazing ideas and projects. Thank you for this reminder!
Anita, that tension is real. Wanting it all mapped out can quietly stall things before they ever get a chance to breathe. I’m glad this gave you a nudge to notice it.
This really resonates. I see this all the time in relationships.
So many people think commitment means “forever,” when what actually builds trust is choosing a container that’s big enough to stretch and small enough to complete. Certainty can look responsible, but it often keeps us frozen.
My partner and I used to commit a year at a time. Not because we weren’t devoted, but because we were honest about growth and change. Over time, that created real confidence—not from guarantees, but from showing up again and again. Twenty-seven years later, we’re choosing to get married, not because we finally have certainty, but because we have proof.
Thanks Charles. I keep coming back to that line myself. It takes the pressure off being right and replaces it with paying attention to what actually happens. Thank you for your comment.
This makes the rule of ones work without the "fear" of being locked in for a year factor. 4 90 day runs. Do one - adjust, take notes, tweak one or two things then do another 90 days. The more you do things that move your business forward in a systematized way the faster success will show up.
Thanks Jill. Seeing it as a series of ninety day runs takes the edge off commitment and keeps things honest. You are still moving forward, but with enough space to notice what works and what does not without blowing everything up. And not blowing everything up is important! Thank you for your comment.
Thanks John. I didn’t arrive at this approach on purpose. I needed a way to move without pretending I knew how it would turn out. Ninety days felt like enough room to start without locking myself into a story I wasn’t sure about. Thank you for your comment.
You nailed it! I have been doing this for over 20 years - and like you said I started off with a bang. By week three I was bored and ready to try something else. This year (2025) I started sticking with things longer - I still get distracted but I’ve seen the benefits when you stick with it.
Thanks Gwen! I recognize that pattern well. Early energy, then restlessness, then the urge to reset instead of stay. Learning to sit with that middle stretch taught me more than any strong start ever did. Thank you for your comment.
so true "It is not clarity. It is discomfort avoidance." I used to be like this. Then one day I said to myself when I was ready to quit (or reached the "resistance.") "what would happen if I just kept going" It has worked for me.
Thanks Deborah. I like how you described choosing each other in smaller windows instead of relying on a forever promise. That kind of honesty about growth and change takes pressure off and invites real presence. Over time, those repeated choices start to mean more than certainty ever could. Proof shows up quietly, in how you keep coming back and how trust builds without guarantees. Thank you for your comment.
Thanks Karen. That moment right at resistance tells you more than any early momentum ever does. Most people never stay long enough to hear what it is saying. Thank you for your comment.
Excellent! I like the way you see it as experiments! So, of course, my mind went to an acronym FAME. Find And Make Experiments
Nice! Thanks Ken. That mind of yours is ALWAYS at work my friend!
Oh how many times the idea of having something perfect before starting or sharing, deciding now what it will shape for the rest of my life stopped so many amazing ideas and projects. Thank you for this reminder!
Anita, that tension is real. Wanting it all mapped out can quietly stall things before they ever get a chance to breathe. I’m glad this gave you a nudge to notice it.
Thank you for your comment.
This really resonates. I see this all the time in relationships.
So many people think commitment means “forever,” when what actually builds trust is choosing a container that’s big enough to stretch and small enough to complete. Certainty can look responsible, but it often keeps us frozen.
My partner and I used to commit a year at a time. Not because we weren’t devoted, but because we were honest about growth and change. Over time, that created real confidence—not from guarantees, but from showing up again and again. Twenty-seven years later, we’re choosing to get married, not because we finally have certainty, but because we have proof.
"Am I willing to run this for ninety days and see who I become?"
What a great question!
Thanks Charles. I keep coming back to that line myself. It takes the pressure off being right and replaces it with paying attention to what actually happens. Thank you for your comment.
This makes the rule of ones work without the "fear" of being locked in for a year factor. 4 90 day runs. Do one - adjust, take notes, tweak one or two things then do another 90 days. The more you do things that move your business forward in a systematized way the faster success will show up.
Thanks Jill. Seeing it as a series of ninety day runs takes the edge off commitment and keeps things honest. You are still moving forward, but with enough space to notice what works and what does not without blowing everything up. And not blowing everything up is important! Thank you for your comment.
I love this approach! I wish I had thought of it, but definitely adopting. Thanks
Thanks John. I didn’t arrive at this approach on purpose. I needed a way to move without pretending I knew how it would turn out. Ninety days felt like enough room to start without locking myself into a story I wasn’t sure about. Thank you for your comment.