Have you ever talked yourself out of something due to the thought of the work associated with doing it? Think of deadlines, new projects, behavioral changes or physical activity – working out.
Your brain can rationalize away every benefit of beginning or doing the task before you begin. You will tell yourself a thousand stories about why you shouldn’t – all the while creating a story of “can’t, won’t, no thanks, shouldn’t,” etc….
I’ve been guilty of this a time or two in my life and have found a few hacks to work through the mental trash talk. One of them is to blend something you look forward to with what you’re new at (or not as comfortable).
If you love music, add it to cleaning the house or your workout. You’ll be surprised how the right music can make a chore more fun. The same is true if you enjoy podcasts or shows, though I think the visual of a show can pull you off course at times.
Another hack is to incentivize yourself. When I work out, my trainer will roll out my neck and shoulders (like a massage) at the beginning and end of the workout. I joke with him that I forget the hard work between when he does it, yet it works. I do look forward to that to get going and complete.
Small things, big results. What will you do to move through your faulty thinking?