The 3 Steps To Get Past Ruminating
Today, I was overcome with anger.I was faced with an outcome I had no control over.I couldn't control it. I couldn't change it. I couldn't delete it.
I actually stopped being productive almost my entire evening. It totally shut me down.
The hard part isn't preventing these things or figuring out how to control them in the moment. There are many things that are impossible to prevent or control.
The hard part is accepting them and moving on quickly.
The good news is that you get another shot at life every day.The sun continues to rise and provide a brand new start.It's up to you to accelerate your acceptance and adjust to reality.If you can't do it by yourself, enlist support.
There is no return-on-investment for ruminating.
There are 3 main steps to moving from uncontrollable problem to controllable solution:
- Awareness.
- Acceptance.
- Action.
You have the power to get yourself back in the saddle.
2 Minute Action
Give yourself the pep talk.Have you ever done this before?Pull yourself aside.Go for a walk, step into the restroom, or sit in your car for a second.Give yourself 2 minutes to accept what's going on around you as reality and give yourself permission to get back on the horse.
Turning This Negative Thing Into A Positive Is Totally In Your Control
I was demoralized.I was sitting on my front porch, looking into my hands.I was holding a cigarette.I had just smoked a cigarette for the first time in 2 weeks.What made it worse was that I had just gotten home from the gym.I had gone 2 weeks without a cigarette, was eating healthy, was exercising, and now--this.I crushed it into the bowl with the others.Regret.Self-loathing.Anger.But it was the last one . . . anger.That was what offered me the energy to try again.I walked inside, reset my focus, and headed out for the day.I've quit smoking many times, but that time was one of the last.I've now been completely smoke-free for 4 years.It wasn't the patch--I tried that.It wasn't the gum--I tried that, too.It definitely wasn't dieting or exercise, either.It was all of this, together with the people around me, and an eagerness to convert anger into fuel.That was my first experience being relentless-- and it's paying off.After you crash and after you feel the wave of emotions that inevitably strike--remember that you have a choice.The rest is up to you.
2 Minute Action
Choose 1 of these things to accomplish, today.
- 15 Pushups
- 10 Sales Calls
- 1 Difficult conversation
- Call a parent, mentor, or role model and ask for support
You don't have to do everything, that's impossible.You just have to do something. Make it small--that part doesn't matter.Just start.