Raising the Floor

I know that it's normal for my meditation practice to have ups and downs. Hopefully the overall trajectory is upward.
Sometimes I think I need  to focus more on raising the floor of my formal practice and not worrying about raising the roof: On the days when my mind is at its worst - in  a rut, in a ditch, in the basement - I will still do x, y and z. It feels as though if I can do that, the roof will go up by itself, and I will make progress.
Gen Khedrub uses the term "non-negotiable," which I find very helpful.
Gen-la Dekyong joked in Vancouver that we get inspired when we go to Celebrations and Festivals and renew our commitment to ourself to practice, no matter what. Then a lot of "what" happens, and our practice nose-dives ... again.

Commitments help. Because we don't generally like that word, we're told that commitments are not like heavy baggage. I think of them like guardrails, keeping me on track. I make them when I'm in my right mind so that when I'm in my wrong mind, they prevent me from ending up in a ditch or worse.

Signing up to be responsible for a puja is one way to make sure you go. I remember having to commit to being at Quick Path once a week, because invariably when 6am arrived, my self-cherishing would convince me it would be much nicer to stay in bed. Joining Foundation Program or Teacher Training Program, with their attendance requirements, have a similar effect.