5 Simple Ways to Overcome the Temptation to Give Up
I almost did not write this article today. I woke up later than usual and just felt like doing nothing. Do you ever get into a lazy mood, when you just do not feel like working, or jogging in the morning, or cooking dinner, or doing the laundry, or being a parent?
I think that we all have these days for various reasons:
- our body can be exhausted because we pushed it too hard the day before;
- our mind can be tired because we kept worrying about something that we had no control of;
- or our emotions can reach their peak and then go into “I don’t care” mode for a while.
But whatever our reasons are, these days cost us 8 hours of unproductive work, fights with our family and friends and a temporary loss of control over our life. But the worst thing is that they often become catalysts for our failures.
Have you set a goal and failed to achieve it? Could you recall why? In my case it often started with a simple decision “I really don’t feel like doing it today. I will just do it tomorrow.” Guess what? In most cases I did not do it the next day… and I had a good reason not to do it the next day… and then after a week of “good reasons” I would finally realize how much I have fallen behind and accept my defeat.
The process of achieving your goals is just like walking on a treadmill. It is easy to set the machine in motion and choose a pace that you are comfortable with. Getting back on track after a long pause is similar to trying to jump onto a treadmill that keeps on moving. Not only do you need to worry about not falling flat on your face, you also need to make an enormous effort to regain the speed.
Next time you get in the lazy mood do the following:
1. Admit to yourself that you are making excuses. Next time the appealing idea of postponing something until tomorrow crosses your mind – do not fight it! Instead ask yourself how realistic is it that you will do it tomorrow? Can you recall the last time you skipped a work-out and felt more inspired to do it the next day? Inspiration, just like good luck, or success is not something you can book in advance by making a simple phone call. It is something that comes to you AFTER you start doing the work.
Be honest with yourself! Accept excuses for what they are – logical explanations that your mind comes up with to justify your lack of desire to do something. When you stop looking for justification you will be able to make conscious decisions about what is best for you.
