This Choice Will Determine Your Day
It’s cold.Your feet hurt.You could get away with a little more sleep.
This is the choice.
You can either start your day by conquering your first challenge or you can hit the snooze button.You can either start your day with a small win or you can lead with an act of procrastination.Your call.Just remember that your brain is getting better at whatever it’s doing right now.
“We are what we continually do.”- Aristotle
2 Minute Action
Pick something small to conquer today.It will only take 2 minutes so you can do it right now.There is no way to procrastinate or make excuses.Everyone has 2 minutes.Here are some ideas:A phone call to your mom.A thank you note to your employer.A text to let your partner know you’re thinking of them.It should be small—but know that it will almost always make a bigger impact than you expect.
What is Imposter Syndrome And How Do I Make It Go Away?
Something I've often felt when entering a new job or a new field is the fear of being a fraud.As if I were really three golden retrievers stacked up in a trench coat and someone was going to notice.The interesting truth is that it's pretty common and it's completely unfounded.
Here's everything you need to know about Imposter Syndrome:
1 - It’s totally normal.
This is part of growing as a person, learning, and stretching your abilities.The feeling comes from not accepting your successesEver get a compliment and shrug it off as a fluke, or something that just happened without you really trying? Here’s where it comes from. The more you start to give yourself credit for your accomplishments and successes, instead of just environmental factors, the more you’ll build an immunity to this feeling.
2 - Friends and Family don’t always help
Research is finding that many of those who experience Imposter Syndrome come from families where achievement is highly valued and pressurized.
3 - Brace yourself for new endeavors
Imposter Syndrome also pops up in people who are at the start of a new venture. It’s going to be easier to handle this feeling when you can expect it, label it, and realize that it’s not going to last forever.
4 - Perfectionist? Procrastinator?
You guessed it, that doesn’t help either. This is a real challenge. Here’s one way I got over being a perfectionist:
- Realize what your goal really is
- Decide what you can really do to get there
- Make a commitment to relentless forward progress - no matter your speed.
Here are some things you can do about it:
1 - All alone?
This is no good for anyone since social relationships make such a broad impact on so many parts of our psychology. It’s no different here. Get a mentor. Actually, get 3 mentors.If you can find 3 people in your life that you can call for a half hour, once a month, and be honest and candid with you, you’re going to have a much easier time adjusting.
2 - Realize how much you actually do.
One of the things that a mentor told me when I was experiencing this for the first time was: make a list of all the things you do. Go ahead, pop open your notepad and work on it for a few days. You’ll be shocked at how long that list starts to get with all of your talents and successes.
3 - Be freaking nicer to yourself.
This is probably the most difficult challenge I’ve faced.I mean, it’s those who are never satisfied who make the biggest change and impact in the world, right?Well, maybe some of them do, but there are plenty of people who do it without this philosophy. In fact, when you think about it, never being satisfied with your progress just seems like a great way to . . . never be satisfied.Not exactly a shortcut to happiness, is it?Give yourself time, forgive yourself for imperfections, and talk to others who’ve been through tough times before. You’ll be amazed at what this will do for your psyche, your productivity, and your happiness.
2 Minute Action:
You have 2 minutes to do one of these things:
- Set up a call with a mentor
- Write down 5 good things a close friend would say about you.
- Look yourself in the mirror and say "I forgive you for not being perfect."
You've only got the rest of your life left.Let's go.
A Little Hack To Jumpstart Your "Someday Maybe" List
Almost everyone has a "Someday Maybe List"
On it, you have . . .
- The non-profit you want to start.
- The album you want to record.
- The backpacking trip you want to take.
Sometimes these things are so big and important that they paralyze us from taking action. Maybe we don't know where to start. Maybe the road is so long we are afraid we won't make it. Maybe it's not urgent so we hit the snooze button for later.
Here's a super easy way to start:
All you have to do is ask: is it actionable?Can you do something about it right now? Why or why not? If it's not actionable, you'll either need more information or you'll need to break down the goal into smaller, actionable pieces.For example, "write a novel" is a big, hairy goal. You can't just bang that out today. It takes time, persistence, and a LOT of patience.Most people think: I'll write a book and then maybe I'll start a blog to tell people about it.They've got it backward. By starting with the blog, you're not only writing out the novel in small, digestible chunks (some publishers call these: chapters), but you're also building an audience of people who are going to be the most likely group of people on the planet to care when you publish it.
Is it actionable?
No. You can't publish a novel today.Fine. So what CAN you do?
- You CAN write a chapter today.
- You CAN call 5 publishers every day for a week.
- You CAN start a blog, today.
Life is going to be a lot harder (and procrastination will be a lot easier) if the tasks on your to-do list turn out to NOT be actionable.It's an easy question.You've got this.Small, daily, relentless.
2 Minute Action
What's one thing that's been sitting on your to-do list for a while?What's holding you back from checking the box?Okay, now what's the real reason?What's a small step that you can take towards making it happen?