The Morning I Almost Didn’t: A Lesson in Commitment

Morning Conditions: 14°C, Mild October Morning
Sea Temperature: 13°C

The Mental Battle 🤯

Today was one of those tricky days. You know the sort—when your warm bed feels like a cocoon of comfort and the outside world seems decidedly less appealing.

After a late night processing and editing 8K videos (and quietly contemplating whether it’s time to upgrade to that tempting Apple Studio Pro 🤔), and with Helen away at a work conference, my motivation was at rock bottom.

The Procrastination Spiral 🌀

Like any skilled procrastinator, I went through the classic stages:

1. Checked CARROT weather app, hoping for a “Must Stay Indoors!” warning
   • Sadly, a perfectly manageable 14°C crushed that excuse
2. Took a “quick peek” at Instagram (rookie error!)
   • Got distracted by a Kickstarter advert for an autonomous robot mower
     • 1.75 acres in a single go? Impressive…
3. Fell down the Kickstarter rabbit hole
4. Lost myself in the comments section

The Turning Point ☀️

As the morning sun found its way through a gap in the curtains, I faced a moment of truth.

• Did I really want to break my sea-dipping streak?
• What excuse could possibly justify skipping today’s blog entry?

There was no excuse. I thought about all those people I would be letting down if I didn’t post anything (though in reality, I’ve only shared this website with a handful of family and friends—I’ve yet to put my marketing chops to the test as there are still a couple of missing elements I need to add).

Oh boy, that was a big tangent, let’s get back on point…

The Power of Imagined Accountability 🎭

So even though nobody would know or care if I didn’t publish a post today, in my mind I imagined they would, and that was enough motivation to drag myself out of bed and go to the beach.

Pro Tip: Evening Prep 🌙

What also helps is my evening routine—having everything ready and in place so I can leave the house with everything I need to go swimming, right to hand with no faffing… It worked like a charm. Within 2 minutes I was out the door, and 5 minutes later I was at the beach.

The Tech Bit ⌚

This time, I remembered to activate tracking on my Apple Watch Ultra (a thoughtful birthday gift from Helen). It’s part of my promise to better utilise its advanced features—though I’ll admit I’ve been a bit slack on that front.

But monitoring sea temperature and logging activities in my Apple Health app feels like a step in the right direction.

Cold Water, Warm Heart: 4 Consecutive Days in the Irish Sea 🌊💙

The Real Message 💭

This rambling post actually has an important point: the power of routine, journalling, and accountability.

This blog, along with the kind words from friends and family, helped me overcome today’s mental hurdles. When I wasn’t feeling it, when my bed seemed infinitely more appealing than the sea, these commitments pulled me through.

And you know what? I’m immensely grateful they did.

P.S. Now, about that Apple website I need to check… 😁

Daily Sea Stats 📊

• Previous Dips: 3
• Streak: Maintained ✅
• Mental Barriers Overcome: Countless