Inspiration is Earned

I know—it's not what we want to hear.

In the summer, I wrote about going for a run, jogging for three minutes then walking to get gelato instead.

Sometimes doing the wrong thing is the right thing. We can only work our day jobs, take on the side hustles, and be “good” for so long.

Then, we must rebel.

This could be getting the ice cream.

Uncorking the magnum of wine.

Or spending the day on the couch.

Acting out is proof that we are still in control. It reminds us of the choice we pretend to have surrendered.

But unless we’re on a drug-fuelled, Tara Reid-style bender, the pendulum swings back. The Netflix series finishes, the family nacho platter disappears, and our vacation ends. We must endure cardio, attend meetings, and mop up the sticky patch on the floor once more.

Emptying our exhaust may last for a few days—or even weeks. And during this time, we’re just excited to not feel bloated.

Then, we notice the wave of monotony beginning to thrash against our ankles. Suddenly, before we can even catch our breath, we’re body-surfing into a sea of Cheeto-dust, suspended reality.

And it’s a rinse and repeat.

These cycles of letting ourselves on and off the hook take the shape of “work” and “play”. It’s completely normal and, in many ways, sums up adulthood.

Where we get into trouble is placing great expectations on our “off” or “play”, and hoping these breaks reshuffle our deck.

It’s when we label our 5 days of PTO (plus a long weekend freebie) as the time when we’ll finally crack our riddle. When we assume that once floating on a noodle in Puerto Vallarta, we’ll develop our multi-million dollar business idea.

The truth is: toggling between obligatory duty and off-the-clock, muffin-topped feet prop, may offer reprieve—but it won’t deliver inspiration.

Note: When I say inspiration, I don’t mean a bubbly wall decal with butterflies. I mean, the thing within us that dares to dream.

Inspiration is our readiness to take a chance. It’s the energy to pursue something bigger.

And despite our Ozempic era, inspiration is earned.

We can’t spend 8-hours a day feeling like we’re pissing away the last of our disappearing youth (a level of youth you’d need a microscope to register), and expect to feel inspired once 5 o’clock rolls around.

We have to make room for inspiration and build mutual trust. And this is done through consistent action.

In other words, if we act like we’re not ready for inspiration, we won’t get any.

For example: When attempting a health blitz, we may spend so much time thinking about working out that it feels like we did.

But the reality is, we’ve only succeeded in dreading the workout. If our procrastination energy could be transformed into actual treadmill minutes, then we’d be ultra-marathoning. But instead, we’ve done fuck all. We did not pass go, we did not collect $200, and we most certainly do not have abs.

Inspiration works the same way.

We may think about wanting a change, but this isn’t the same as acting on behalf of change. To receive our marching orders, we have to prove that we’re ready.

And despite my own brave attempts at finding a workaround, this is done by logging the minutes.

Inspiration requires a solid foundation to burrow into.

We all have great ideas that, if acted upon, could change our game. But if we’re not ready to do the work, they remain just that: ideas.

Ideas only become inspiration through action.

And action can’t be turned on overnight. We have to overcome the excuses and chatter by doing. We need to build up a tolerance.

So, while this is painful to write, when we’d rather zone out and watch Love is Blind, we’re going to have to read the book. Instead of scrolling, we research. In lieu of “snooze,” we wake up a few minutes early.

Rather than think, we incrementally do.

This is the idea of chipping away, where we gradually pivot through manageable effort over time. If this sounds anti-climactic, it’s because it is.

And if you’re grumbling, I totally get it. When we’re feeling disconnected, it’s hard to be make better choices and be consistent. But we start small.

It could be going into contract (with yourself) for a 20-minute walk per day. Maybe it’s spending an additional song length in the shower daydreaming. Or perhaps it’s writing one judgment-free (shitty) page of something per day.

This is how achievement becomes sustainable.

When we get into a chipping flow, we’re no longer just striking a momentary balance between our obligations and fucking off for the weekend to eat cheese. By embracing the grey, we start to build a foundation that can support our level-up moves. We finally get to break our cycle of all-or-nothing disappointment.

For instance, if we stumble upon an exciting idea during a lakeside mushroom trip but lack the discipline to act, does it matter? No.

Inspiration dies without a safe place to call home.

Staying bored, avoidant, distracted, and self-sabotaging does not provide a harbour. Exercise (again, I’m so sorry), consistency, focus, and balance signal that we can handle what’s to come.

I challenge us both to rebel by earning our inspiration.