Catchup with Coach M - Edition 69 - Your Why Isn’t the Problem. Stewardship is...

This morning, I had the opportunity to start my day a little slower.

Not because I didn't have work to do. Not because my responsibilities had disappeared. Not because my to-do list had magically become shorter.

I simply decided that I was going to allow myself to do it.

And it reminded me of something.

Not too long ago, I used to do this more often.

Somewhere along the way, the chase of life took over. The never-ending to-do list. The responsibilities. The things we have to do to make life happen. The things we choose to do because they help us survive the week.

The constant barrage of information, notifications, messages, screens and demands.

And somehow, when I allowed myself to slow down this morning, I was reminded that life didn't actually feel as overwhelming when I did this before.

The responsibilities were still there.

The work still needed to be done.

The diary still needed planning.

But I was approaching it differently.

Perhaps that's what happens when we create enough space to actually apply our minds.

Not just think.

Not just consume.

But make the small decisions that move us 1% forward every day.

Your Why Is Important. But Your Stewardship Matters Too.

We talk a lot about finding your why.

And rightly so.

Your why gives you a reason to keep going when things get difficult. It gives meaning to the work. It gives direction to the goals.

But I've been thinking about something else lately:

What are we actually doing with the resources we have been given?

Because having a strong why is not always enough.

We can know exactly where we want to go and still fail to take the steps required to get there.

We can have the training plan.

The nutrition information.

The calendar.

The technology.

The knowledge.

The support.

The opportunity.

The business idea.

The goal.

The dream.

But if we don't steward those resources well, they remain just that — resources.

Unused potential.

And this isn't a judgement.

I'm saying this to myself as much as anyone else.

This past year has emotionally drained me in ways that, some days, still feel like I was watching someone else's movie.

There have been moments where I've had to remind myself of my own why.

And while that why hasn't changed, I have had to acknowledge that circumstances sometimes became the focus instead of the basics.

And that matters.

Because stewardship is about what we do with what we have.

Whether that is your health.

Your fitness.

Your business.

Your finances.

Your relationships.

Your time.

Your knowledge.

Your opportunities.

Or simply your life.

Information Isn't Transformation

We live in an incredible time.

Our phones are essentially mobile libraries.

We can access information from almost anywhere.

AI can answer questions in seconds.

Algorithms learn what we watch, what we search for, what we buy and what interests us.

We are surrounded by information.

But here's the uncomfortable question:

What are we actually doing with it?

Are we applying it?

Or are we simply consuming it?

Because information without application doesn't create transformation.

Knowing what to do isn't the same as doing it.

And this is something I see every week in coaching.

I can give a client information.

I can provide a training programme.

I can put workouts into an app.

I can explain nutrition.

I can provide guidance, structure and resources.

But I cannot do the workout for them.

I cannot make the food choices for them.

I cannot open the training app.

I cannot make the appointment with themselves.

That part belongs to them.

And that's where stewardship comes in.

You have to use what you have been given.

You Are Often One Application Away

There is a phrase I like:

You may be only one application away from your next breakthrough.

Not necessarily one massive change.

One application.

Log the food.

Stick to the calorie target.

Do the workout.

Go to bed on time.

Put the phone down.

Read the information.

Take the walk.

Make the appointment.

Have the conversation.

Open the training app.

Follow the plan.

Do it again tomorrow.

And again the day after that.

Because the magic is rarely in doing something once.

The magic is in repetition.

One missed workout isn't the problem.

One takeaway isn't the problem.

One late night isn't the problem.

One day where you don't feel like doing anything isn't the problem.

The problem comes when one exception quietly becomes the new routine.

One missed workout becomes three.

Three becomes a week.

One takeaway becomes several.

One "I'll start again Monday" becomes another month.

One night of poor sleep becomes a pattern.

And suddenly we're looking at the results — or lack of results — wondering what happened.

But often, nothing mysterious happened.

We simply stopped doing the basics.

And again, I'm including myself in this.

The Basics Are Boring — And That's Why They Work

We often want the exciting solution.

The new programme.

The new supplement.

The new app.

The new strategy.

The new goal.

The big reset.

But sometimes the answer is much less exciting.

Sleep.

Nutrition.

Movement.

Strength.

Recovery.

Planning.

Quiet time.

Consistency.

Showing up.

Doing what you said you were going to do.

These things aren't glamorous.

But they work.

Our bodies thrive on rhythm and consistency. Our lives often do too.

There is something powerful about giving yourself predictable anchors in a world that is constantly demanding your attention.

And yes, routine can become boring.

But comfort and consistency aren't the same thing.

A routine that supports your growth is very different from a comfort zone that keeps you stuck.

Keep the Carrots Fresh

I often tell my athletes:

Keep the carrots fresh. Plant the next seed before you pull out the current one.

Goals don't always have to be spectacular.

But they need enough substance to make you get up and do something.

Because when our goals become too small, we can become complacent.

And comfort zones can be dangerous places.

Not because comfort is bad.

But because if we stay there too long, we stop moving.

And here's the truth:

You will probably never feel completely ready.

That thing you've been thinking about?

That change you've been talking about?

That business idea?

That race?

That fitness goal?

That personal challenge?

You may never wake up one morning and suddenly feel completely prepared.

Sometimes you have to take the step while you're still scared.

I think about running at night.

Your headlamp doesn't show you the entire road.

It shows you enough of the path to take the next step.

You don't need to see fifteen steps ahead.

You need to negotiate the step in front of you.

Then the next one.

Then the next.

But you do need to know roughly where you're going.

Direction matters.

What Are You Running From?

I recently listened to a podcast where the presenter said something that stayed with me:

The things in life we run away from — the things we are meant to do — often have a way of finding us on the road we take to avoid them.

That got me thinking.

Avoiding responsibility doesn't make it disappear.

Avoiding the truth about what we want doesn't make the desire disappear.

Avoiding the person we know we need to become doesn't stop us from knowing that person exists.

Eventually, we have to stop running around the issue and start walking towards it.

And perhaps that's another part of stewardship.

Being honest about what we have.

Being honest about where we are.

Being honest about what isn't working.

And then deciding what we are going to do about it.

So, What's Your Why?

My why hasn't changed.

I want to educate.

I want to encourage.

I want to help people grow.

There is a lot more behind that, and I've shared some of that journey in my past blogs and website bio's .

But if I'm completely honest, there is also something selfish about it.

I don't want to be a mediocre life survivor.

I want to grow.

I want to thrive.

I want to become the person I was created to be.

And that means I have to steward my own life too.

I can't tell others to show up for themselves while constantly giving myself permission not to.

I can't encourage people to respect their commitments to themselves if I don't respect mine.

I can't talk about growth while becoming comfortable with standing still.

So perhaps today isn't about making a massive change.

Perhaps it's about asking a much simpler question:

What resources do I already have that I'm not using properly?

What information do you already know?

What plan are you already holding?

What goal have you already set?

What appointment with yourself have you been postponing?

What basic habit have you allowed to slide?

What is one thing you could apply today?

Not tomorrow.

Not Monday.

Not when life calms down.

Today.

Steward Your Why

Your why gives you direction.

Your goals give you something to move towards.

But stewardship is what happens in between.

It's how you use your time.

How you use your energy.

How you use your knowledge.

How you use your opportunities.

How you use the support around you.

And ultimately, how you choose to show up for yourself.

Because your life isn't changed by what you know.

It is changed by what you consistently apply.

So maybe today, don't look for another answer.

Look at the answers you already have.

Open the plan.

Do the workout.

Eat the meal you've planned or that is on your plan.

Put down the phone.

Go outside.

Make the call.

Take the next step.

And then tomorrow, do it again.

Not perfectly.

Just intentionally.

Because perhaps stewardship isn't about squeezing every possible ounce out of life.

Perhaps it's simply about respecting what you've been given enough to actually use it.

And that's where your why starts becoming your life.

One decision.

One action.

One step.

One day at a time.