My friends often tease me about my television viewing habits. Up until about ten years ago, I had what is described as a “big-butt” tv. I don’t have cable. I still have the Netflix DVD subscription. And it wasn’t until the start of the COVID pandemic that I finally plugged in the Amazon Fire TV Stick, which was a gift inside my “speakers” bag from a conference….in 2017! Once I did, though, I was beyond excited to find a channel that ran reruns of one of my favorite shows from back in the day – the original “Law & Order” series.
I had forgotten how good the show was at tackling the social and political issues of the time. Thirty-years later, it’s also interesting to see how much has and hasn’t changed regarding some of the very same issues depicted in those episodes.
During these pandemic years, I’ve rewatched quite a few shows. It’s pretty cool to see some of today’s well-known actors at the start of their careers, including my friend Delissa Reynolds Lyssy (who most recently was on “FBI: Most Wanted”).
I’m also amazed by how many times I see something I didn’t notice before. Maybe it was a detail about the “case,” or a spoken line, or an interaction between the characters. But frequently, the show would end with me having an, “I didn’t catch that before” moment.
If you and I are paying attention, we’d realize this happens often. This is part of the power of repetition.
And it doesn’t just reveal itself when it comes to watching repeats of previously aired episodes of our favorite television series.
This…Again?
Last week, I had a conversation that delighted me beyond measure. It was with someone who first did the Financial Wheel exercise in 2020. I noticed recently that she had signed up to do it again, and I was curious. So, we hopped on a call and she told me she’s “been doing the exercise annually.”
OH MY GOSH…you have no idea how much this was music to my ears. Because this is exactly what I hope people will do!!!
She was experiencing what I wholeheartedly know to be true: Each time you do it, something new is revealed.
Maybe the revelation comes in the form of “new” thoughts, perceptions, feelings, attitudes, goals, direction, satisfaction, desires, needs, etc.” (By the way, the revelation doesn’t have to be “big” to be significant.)
For her, her revelations helped to inform some decisions about work – like recognizing she doesn’t want to follow the traditional “climb the ladder” model of her industry. Revisiting the Financial Wheel has helped her forecast out different scenarios for how she works currently and wants to in the future. It also gave her some ideas of experiments to try.
Her husband also does the exercise, so it helps them navigate those sometimes tricky conversations about money with a bit more ease.
What Repetition is Not
Yes, repetition is anything you do consistently, whether that is daily, weekly, monthly, quarterly, or annually. It can be an ongoing thought, feeling, or action. All the better if it is constructive and helps you to live and work proactively – with more intention.
But it is very important to recognize the uniqueness embedded in repetition. As weird as it may sound, repeatedly doing something is not doing the same thing over and over again. Mainly because there’s always something different.
Let’s say you workout everyday; is each workout the same? No!
I’m in Prospect Park almost every day. The workout is different depending on if I’m running or walking; it’s different depending on how much sleep I got the night before and if it was restful; it’s different depending on what I ate the night before; it’s different if I did strength training the day before or right before. And the weather plays a factor, too. A sunny, cold day is different from a sunny, warm day; a dry day is different from a rainy one.
In other words, a host of “variables” is what makes doing the same thing – different.
The same is true when it comes to money, which is one of the many “gifts” of re-doing the Financial Wheel exercise. If you make it a habit of doing it annually, you are bound to have different answers to some of the questions, because there is likely to be some variable that changed within the last twelve months in your life or business, or with your money.
By the way, this is not so much a plug for re-doing the Financial Wheel exercise. Even though I do believe it is beneficial to do so. 🙂
Rather, it’s a reminder that when it comes to money, business, and life, repetition shows up everywhere, in ALL the ways.
It’s also a reminder to avoid the pitfall of morphing into being “rote” when it comes to whatever it is you are repeating.
And, it’s an invitation to:
- Pay attention to what you are doing on repeat – purposefully and subconsciously.
- Get curious and ask questions that will help you discern how whatever you are repeating – thought, feeling, action – is working for you.
- Notice if what’s on repeat is leading to mastery, opening you to new insights, and deepening your awareness and learning?
Ultimately, this is an invitation to tap into the power of repetition.
For me this is threefold: It is about doing the same thing over and over again (to build up mastery) whilst being on the lookout for what’s new and different about the experience of doing it. So that you can create the space to have your, “I didn’t catch that before” moment.
I once read, “You always need to repeat the basics.”
This struck me for its simplicity and for how it prompts you and me to define what is basic to/for us.
Here are a few examples that come to mind:
Think about the power of looking at your goals or vision board, repeatedly. And how that helps you to recognize the progress you are making or become aware of what shifts to make sooner rather than later.
Think about spending time with the people who energize you, and when you do this repeatedly, how nurturing it is.
Think about how satisfying it feels to add to your savings or investment account on a regular basis, even if the amounts are less than what you ideally want. In my opinion, the real flex is when you give yourself permission to even view the power of repetition as a habit and a choice!
