Are you soooooo done with everything being so dang hard and stressful?
We make things unnecessarily hard for ourselves.
You don’t get a badge of honor for having so much “hard” in your life..
No, no, no!
The only thing you get is a pile of stress and a toxic mindset of “life is hard” that bleeds into everything you do.
The thought of “this is hard” is a sneaky one. It’s not accurate. What we really mean is that doing some things is uncomfortable. Ummm…. uncomfortable isn’t the same as hard. Hard is painful. Discomfort is something we can tolerate until we get comfortable.
Most people aren’t willing to experience discomfort. We are wired to avoid pain (or perceived pain) far more than gain pleasure.
What’s the worst that could happen if you put yourself on the line by doing something new, scary or intimidating? A feeling. A temporary bad feeling. It will not kill you or even hurt you.
Research reveals that human emotions last for a whopping 90 seconds before changing shape.
90 seconds! We have more than 1400 minutes in a day, so I think we could all withstand almost anything for one and a half of them.
All emotions are temporary. Good and bad.
A courageous person knows that the cost of going for it is therefore worth it. Because what’s the risk, really? Experiencing some temporary uncomfortable emotions is as bad as it gets.
What would you be doing if you were willing to experience a negative emotion? Asking someone out or asking for a raise at work?
First, be willing to be uncomfortable and then try these 3 simple ways to let things be easy.
#1 Change the conversation.
The reason why things are hard is because we tell ourselves it’s hard.
It’s a self-fulfilling prophecy.
Don’t Say:
This is gonna be so hard.
Instead Say:
I remember when I did xxxx, and I thought that was gonna be hard, but it really wasn’t.
Don’t Say:
This is huge.
Instead Say:
It’s just a book, (just an instrument, just a talk, just a dish, just a class, just a test).
Now when you finish that book drop the word “just”. Celebrate your accomplishment. When someone congratulates you, accept that and say “Yes!, I finished my book!” Not, “Oh it’s just a book. Lots of people write them.”
Don’t Say:
I don’t even know where to start.
Instead Say:
Hmmmm. This is new. I don’t know exactly know what to do, but I’ll figure it out as I go.
The names you give your work matter, they have power. How you describe something impacts how you show up or don’t show up. Words can make things seem big, intimidating or scary.
#2 Start Before You Start
Starting is usually the hardest part of anything. Well, unless you’re the kind of person who starts tons of things but never finishes them. Wherever you are on the start-finish spectrum, starting before you start will make a huge difference in the perceived difficulty of any task.
What you do the evening before you start matters just as much as what you do each morning. In fact, what you do the night before makes it much more likely that you’ll accomplish what you’re aiming to get done on any given day.
First, set your intention for the day. End each day by writing the 3-5 most important things you want to get done tomorrow. Schedule those things on your calendar.
The worst thing is getting to your desk and scratching your head trying to decide what you should do first. Decide the night before.
I wear 20 different hats in my business. I can choose from creating digital products, to working on certification stuff, to administrative stuff, to networking, to writing blog posts, to personal stuff, and the list goes on. If I leave it up to how I feel in the morning, I guarantee you I will not be working on what is most important.
Finally, set up your workspace so all you need to do is sit or stand at your desk and start.
Let’s say I decide the first thing I’m going to do tomorrow is record a couple videos. Now I need to physically set myself up to start.
- Tonight, I am going to set up and test all my equipment.
- I’m going to make sure everything I need is charged.
- I’ll also let my family know I’m going to be recording at a certain time, so they don’t bust up my recording unknowingly.
- I’ll decide on what I’m going to wear and lay it all out.
# 3 Take Baby Steps
Don’t focus on going from 0 to 100. Focus on going from 0 to 1.
Gradual progression always double your efforts and it’s the only way anyone achieves a goal.
So stop worrying about where you’ll be 100 days from now. Put your head down and focus on what you can make progress on right now.
It’s the tiny steps you take every single day that will pave the way to achieving anything. You just need to develop the simple discipline to do it.
According to Mel Robbins, simple discipline is the practice of making and keeping promises to yourself. These promises are the foundation for your daily life, which is the foundation for achieving your goals.
The only way to change the big things in your life is to change the small things first – your daily habits, your morning routine, your evening routine and everything in between.
Start by making your bed every morning. Yes, I make my bed even when I’m at a hotel. When you make your bed in the morning it will automatically make you feel productive since you just completed something. And doesn’t it look nice?! You can throw your covers over the wrinkled sheets, it doesn’t have to be perfect.
One small task can make a huge difference in making you feel more confident to start your day.
Wrapping it Up: 3 Simple Ways to Make Things Easy
#1 Change the Conversation
#2 Start Before You Start
#3 Take Baby Steps
