What To Do First When It’s Hard
The hard stuff is usually depicted in movies and other media as some kind of grueling, physical test of will.It’s a race, or a hockey game, or a POW camp.While this can be true for some things, it’s usually not.More likely, the hard stuff is something social, emotional, or psychological.Usually, the hard stuff is just simply: the thing you’re avoiding.It doesn’t have to look hard. It just has to make you feel like you’d like to avoid it.If you’re afraid of it, that’s probably a good sign that you’ve sniffed out the hard stuff successfully.
So what do you do?
Stop me if it’s obvious by now . . .Break it into smaller pieces and then do the first one as soon as you start your day.Building a habit of small actions will accumulate like compounding interest.
2 Minute Action:
What’s the thing you’re dreading doing today?Do it right now.You might not be able to do the whole thing in 2 minutes, and that’s fine.Just start.Putting your shorts on is generally the hardest part of going to the gym.
Tell Me You Don't Already Know The Answer To This . . .
We almost always know the answer already. The trouble is that we're looking for someone to give us permission.We don't need a new fancy diet. We know what's good for us and what's garbage. Eat less, exercise more.We don't need a fancy new software app. We know what work we're avoiding. Do the scary stuff first, push everything else aside.We don't need a professional life-coach. We know what's right in our hearts. Care more, complain less, solve problems that help people.
But there are consequences.
The trouble is that caring more means we get hurt by careless people.Complaining less means doing the emotional work of reframing frustration as gratitude.Solving problems that help people means we have to deliberately look inside ourselves--which is can be terrifying.
So, it's going to hurt either way.
It's up to you whether you want to feel the hurt of being yourself or the hurt of never being you.It's up to you if you want to endure the temporary pain of vulnerability or the sustained suffering of self-denial.The thing we often know and often forget is that we're going to habituate to whichever pain we choose.To which pain would you rather be immune?
2 Minute ACTION:
- What work are you avoiding right now?
- What conversation are you putting off?
- What habit are you waiting to start?
Reply/Comment and let's get moving.