Would You Watch Your Own Movie?

đź’ˇ One mindset shift that helps you stay consistent with your habits.

Author

Selim Uysal
May 12, 2025

Hi friend,

I almost skipped the gym again yesterday.

The excuses showed up like clockwork:

Too tired. I need to sleep early to wake up early. Too many other things to do.

It’s funny how this happens every time, as if I’m going for the first time, even though I’ve done this hundreds of times before.

But I’ve also learned this: I never regret going. Even a short 30-minute workout boosts my energy, improves my focus, and reminds me I’m showing up for myself.

So what pushed me over the edge this time?

This one line from Ben Meer’s newsletter I read:

“Live your life like there’s a documentary crew following you around, and you’re analyzing your own behavior.”

That hit hard.

Because no one wants to watch a movie where the main character scrolls for hours and avoids everything that matters.

That one thought made me put on my shoes and go.

Your Habits = Your Story

The habits we keep are not just routines—they’re the plotlines of our lives.

  • Skipping the gym once? No big deal.

  • Skipping it every week? That’s a storyline.

Each repeated action either reinforces the person you want to become or moves you further from that version of yourself.

This is why consistent action matters more than motivation. And why mindset shifts, like the “documentary thought experiment,” are powerful tools to nudge us toward better defaults.

When Procrastination Creeps In, Ask:

🎥 If someone was filming me right now, would I be proud of this moment?

This doesn’t mean hustle 24/7. But it does mean living more deliberately.

Because those small moments of choice? They compound.

  • A skipped workout becomes a skipped week.

  • A 5-minute journal becomes a year of reflection.

  • A single post becomes a writing habit and a new identity.

Your Turn

What’s one habit you’ve been struggling to stay consistent with?

Try the camera trick.

Then do what your “main character” would do.

📩 Hit reply and let me know what habit you’re working on this week.

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Thanks for reading!

Selim

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