The Benefits to Being All In

On one very rainy afternoon, I was walking briskly in downtown Vancouver, heading to meet a friend for lunch. I felt unprepared for the weather. I pulled the tip of my jacket hood forward to shield my face from the rain. Thankfully I only had to walk a few blocks.

While I carefully navigated puddles in my less-than-waterproof footwear, I marveled at the fact that earlier that day, I had bicycled ten kilometers in this same weather, feeling no need to wince as the rain pelted down upon me. Why did that feel easier than my two-block walk? The difference was in my commitment. On my bicycle, I was covered head to toe in appropriate rain gear. I wasn’t trying to resist the weather. I immersed myself in it. I was all in.

Once you’re all in, there’s no room for hesitation.

Until you decide to be all in, navigating challenges on your way toward your goal can be quite daunting. However, once you commit fully to working toward your goal, your fears take a back seat while motivation becomes easier. Your avoidance and hesitation decrease. Your inner dialogue may start looking like this: “Want to procrastinate another day? What about that commitment you made to yourself? Oh yeah. Okay, well then, back to work.”

Being all in brings possibilities.

How do you make the leap from hesitating to being all in? You can take a leap of faith or “fake it ‘til you make it”. Or, you can apply a gentler approach of curiosity. Acknowledge your fears and doubts while at the same time be curious about possibilities that unfold as you move toward your goal. Once you’ve built momentum, being all in starts to feel more comfortable.

There are benefits to being all in.

Once you’re all in, you’ll find ways around obstacles or setbacks. Your desire to reach your goal will fuel your motivation. The benefits of being all in are twofold: you’re less weighed down by your own excuses and you’ll be a little bit closer to reaching your goal. What will it take for you to be all in?