I stepped on a wet crouton.
A remnant of the salad I had just finished eating.
A salad I’d put some effort into making with homemade dressing and loads of chopped up veggies…and croutons.
As I bent over to pick up the crouton that found its way to the floor, I decided to vacuum.
If I’d just had a bag of chips and stepped on one of those chips, I’m not so sure I would have done more than pick up the crumbs.
Having eaten a nutritious salad, I felt like someone who does things that are good for me, even when they take time and effort. In that moment, I was propelled to do something that confirmed that identity.
Thirty minutes after I picked up that crouton, I’d not only vacuumed the whole main floor, I’d also dusted and tidied up the living room and kitchen. And it felt great.
I don’t normally make homemade salads. Cooking and food prep are some of my least favourite things to do but I know they matter because when i do them, I eat better. And that feeds into my value for health and vitality.
So what was different about that day?
That morning, something shifted.
I was writing about my frustration at not getting started on my YouTube channel. About how I was stuck in planning and researching hoping to get to a point where I had everything figured out before getting started. (Oh hello, overthinking.)
And then I wrote:
I don’t have to have it all baked in. All I need to know is my next move.
My move.
I had never thought of it quite that way before, and I liked it.
It asked more meaningfully how I was going to play this.
It felt more empowering than figuring out ‘the next step.’
When I ask “what’s my move?,” I’m making room for the uncontrollables. I’ll make a move and then see what feedback or result I get before making the next move.
This small but powerful shift was a big part of why I continued to do things that mattered to me that day.
Now I think about the moves that matter every day. And that helps me have more days that matter.
It feels right and helpful.
My hope is it will help you too.