I'd like to do____ 📚
Hi friends! Welcome to Full Stop., my daily attempt to live with outward honesty: to speak in truths, to learn, and to examine life. Thank you for your presence here.
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But sticking to it is too hard
Last night, I attended a birthday party at a knife-throwing studio (yes, you read that correctly). While mingling, I chatted with some friends who are avid Full Stoppers.
“You know, I've always wanted to write, but it feels like such a huge task. I can't seem to get my big ideas across, and sticking to it is just too hard.”
This isn’t the first time I’ve had a conversation like this since starting to publish Full Stop. daily back in April.
Often, Full Stop. becomes a springboard for people to talk about all the habits they haven’t been able to stick to. I find these conversations fascinating because habit formation and behavioral change seem to be universal challenges.
“Hey Nat, you should write a self-help book titled 'I would like to do ____: but sticking to it is too hard.'"
It’s not a novel idea, unfortunately, though the entrepreneur in me appreciates the validation of the unmet need.
The self-help market is saturated with books, videos, and workshops where people jump up and down on stage, telling you that the time is now and the person is you.
Why doesn’t any of this work? Why do people drop off two days into an exercise regimen, a study plan, or any commitment they’ve made to themselves?
(If someone has the answer, please message me privately—I think we’ve found the billion-dollar solution.)
We may have all the information in the world, but lack the mechanisms to follow through.
So what makes me come back to publish Full Stop. for the 88th consecutive article today? It’s probably a combination of fear that I’ll lose the streak if I don’t, mixed with the gamification of watching the traction grow.
But really, it’s the Full Stop. community, which has filled my inbox with their own insights, responses to articles, and questions they’ve started asking themselves about how they’re living their lives.
For me, finding something worth sticking to is a mix of personal interest, gamification, and impact.
Let me know what this formula looks like for you.
Maybe we can all co-write this book and change the title to “I would like to do ____... and I did.”
🌞Cheers to Saturday.
I am 22, and I have no absolute certainty about where my life trajectory is taking me, whether it be in medicine, entrepreneurship, a combination of the two, or neither. Welcome to my process of discovery. Thank you for letting me learn on this journey. I hope you can too.