How to start: "Punching the Shark"

Complete the scary things on your to-do list NOW.

Hello! Happy Monday!

I thought I’d write about “punching the shark” as I started my Monday doing just that. Basically, taking a scary to-do list and getting it done. This saying or motto bubbled up for me at the NE Coastal Bloom Conference last week. I was on a panel about pivoting and one of the questions was about the steps I had to take in selling STIK.

I feel like when you hear about people doing big things like starting a company or selling a company or doing something you admire, they often times glaze over the actual details. HOW did you do that is what I always want to ask. And part of it is I think you intentionally forget all of the logistics and details that go into doing something really hard. Or it’s so ugly and unglamorous that sharing it isn’t great for your personal brand. But I love being honest and transparent and feel like when I am my most vulnerable, I connect the most with people.

So that’s where punching the shark comes into play. When I decided it was time to make a big change with STIK - I had a LOT of frightening/terrible/stomach-ache-worthy decisions to make. And those decisions were followed by frightening/terrible/stomache-ache-worthy actions. I noticed that certain things on my to-do list in my planner kept getting pushed to the next day and then the next week.

And somehow (I think my husband sent it to me) I came across this speech by Admiral William McRaven called The “Make your Bed” speech. (First, a disclaimer: was what I was doing even 1/1000000th as hard as what Navy Seal’s experience??! Absolutely not. But it inspired me nonetheless.)

Watch the video. No matter who you are or what you’re experiencing, it will pump you up. While the end is all about inspiring through hope, the beginning of his message is about accomplishing tasks and going straight at the ones that scare you. And that helped me to reset my mentality and get sh*t done. I would look at something I had to do and say to myself “COME ON CHRISTINA. PUNCH THE SHARK!” And then I would do that thing and feel so much better after. So much less stressed and realized it wasn’t that hard after all. Worrying about it was often the hardest part!

Punching the shark or going straight at a tough task is so much more efficient than spiraling over it or putting it off. I shared this concept with my mom over the summer and we also came up with a little reward system. Do all of those things you’ve been putting off and go get a massage or something indulgent to celebrate it. We are going to go to SKA in Southie to do just that!

Am I perfect at doing this?? Absolutely not. I have a parking ticket sitting next to me that has been there for far too long and things on my to-do list that keep getting pushed back. But thought maybe by writing this I’d remind myself of the courage I mustered last spring to punch the shark - I can do hard things and so can you!!

PS. If you’re new here - I am OBSESSED with the FullFocus planner and this was definitely a part of my process. I find that by having big goals and breaking them down into quarters, weeks, and then days - I am able to accomplish something that once felt completely unattainable!