By Leo Babauta

So much becomes possible when we just show up regularly.

Some of the best people I’ve known are people who just show up for others, regularly. They show up, take care of things, do their best. And the lives of others get changed.

When we’re struggling with our lives, often it’s a struggle to show up for our lives.

So today, I’m going to recommend the idea of building the simple habit of showing up. Simple, but of course not always easy.

If you can show up regularly, things will start to change.

What Does Showing Up Look Like?

Showing up can be applied to any area of our lives:

• Fitness: When I wanted to start running, my mantra was to just lace up my shoes and get out the door. I didn’t have to run if I didn’t feel like it — I just needed to show up. Eventually I ran my first marathon this way! The same thing applies if you want to work out at the gym, or do yoga regularly, or play a sport. Just show up, and you’ll see progress.

• Finances: For me, this looks like opening my budget app every day (You Need a Budget is what I recommend) and sorting through transactions, making sure I’m on plan, making payments and adjustments to the plan as needed. It takes 5–10 minutes a day. For someone else, it might be some other small steps — but showing up regularly can make a huge difference in getting finances in order.

• Meditation: Practicing mindfulness through meditation can have a huge impact on your life — but only if you’re showing up regularly and practicing. I’ve gone through many periods where I struggled to show up, mostly because I always feel too busy. But if I can remind myself that all I need to do is get my butt on the cushion, then my meditation practice starts to happen.

• Big project: A writer friend of mine told me that he just needed to get his butt on the chair at a certain time and the book gets written. That’s what showing up for a project looks like.

• Clutter: If you have mountains of clutter … can you take just 10 minutes a day to clear out a little of it? Slowly the mountains shrink to molehills.

• Email: Overflowing inbox? Have a session every day where you clear out the less important emails (archive, quick replies) and try to reply to a few of the more important ones.

• Learning: We learn best when we’re consistently showing up. Whether it’s reading through a textbook or studying Anki flashcards, you’ll see great progress by just showing up regularly.

You get the picture. A habit of showing up regularly changes any area of your life — including relationships, your career, your pile of small tasks that can feel overwhelming, and more.

How to Build the Habit of Showing Up

So how do we build this as a habit? Well, intention and practice.

Start with the intention: pick one area (any of the areas above would be good) and have the intention to just show up in that area every day (or at least, most days). It’s not about perfection. Just start with the intention. Write it down.

Then practice:

• Set a reminder so you don’t forget. Also put it on your calendar.

• Start with the smallest amount you can show up. Just lace up your shoes. Just get your butt on the chair. Just open the document. Don’t get ambitious.

• Each day, when you practice, see if there’s something you can enjoy about showing up. Can you find a little bit of fun, play, curiosity, gratitude?

• What could be lovely about showing up?

• Acknowledge yourself each time you do show up. Drop the habit of self-criticism and discouraging yourself, and instead practice encouraging yourself.

• Appreciate what starts happening after a week or so of showing up regularly.

It’s an underappreciated skill, but I think showing up regularly changes everything.

In Fearless Living Academy, showing up becomes a daily practice. Whether you’re building a habit, working on a project, or making a meaningful change, you’ll have the structure and support to keep returning — even when it’s hard. With community, accountability, and gentle focus, small actions start to add up.

Join us and build your practice of showing up.