Hey Team,
A little over a week ago, I was reminding us that we don’t need constant enthusiasm in order to take action on our life-enhancement plans and almost two weeks ago, I was reminding us that we can just give today’s plans a try even if we feel kind of meh about them in the moment.
Today, I am taking both of those things up a notch and reminding us that we can go ahead with our plans even if the idea of doing them is irritating as all hell.
Sure, if our plans are as irritating as all hell every single time then we may want to consider reshaping them but if we have a day or a week of irritation about the actions required for a goal or plan that is important to us?
That might be a good time to borrow this expression:
I use this approach on the regular when I know what I need to do and the end result is very important to me but I just do not want to do the thing.
Knowing that I only have to summon the energy for the actions but that I don’t have to pretend that I want to do them, to pretend they are a good idea, or to even pretend that I like them right now is incredibly freeing.
And, just like that meme about talking a stupid walk for our stupid mental health, going ahead with my plan and swearing the whole time usually results in me feeling much better about the whole thing than if I had told myself I was just too cranky today.
Sidenote: I don’t magically cure my ADHD with this approach. My brain is still very much a factor but since I have given myself permission to be cranky about having to proceed, it’s is often a lot easier to get the thing done.
So, Team, today I invite you to consider adding the ‘swearing the whole time’ option to your toolbox of approaches when you need help to persevere towards the life you want. If you don’t swear, feel free to insert the word ‘grumble’ instead.
This option isn’t intended to override our other options, like finding the fun part or leaning on your routine or any of the other approaches I have suggested.
Swearing the whole time is actually another way to be kind to yourself about the process of change.
You don’t have to pretend that everything is great, you don’t have to be delighted about your workout, your journaling, or your next glass of water, you have the option to be downright cranky about it and it can still get done. It will still move you in the direction you want to go.
And it will move you there without you having to dredge up any extra energy about the whole thing.
It usually works for me and I hope it will be helpful for you, too.
And here’s your gold star for your efforts today, no matter what kind of mood your are in and no matter how big or small your actions are.
Go Team Us!
