| It was a Saturday afternoon, many years ago, | | | | reviewing the previous day's work or cleaning off |
| during the time when I was in the midst of my | | | | your work space. As you do them, your mind will |
| acting career. My plan that day was to send out | | | | begin to focus on the work to come, ideas will |
| some pictures and resumes for possible jobs, but | | | | start to flow and you'll move more easily into |
| I was feeling anxious about doing that. Instead, I | | | | your project. An interesting writer's trick I learned |
| was doing crossword puzzles, my "drug of choice" | | | | is to stop work in the middle of a thought or |
| at the time, trying to fend off the anxiety and | | | | paragraph. Then, when you begin again, you can |
| muster up the motivation to do what I needed to | | | | pick up where you left off, rather than facing a |
| do. The phone rang, and it was my friend Jim, | | | | blank page. |
| who asked me what I was doing. I told him I was | | | | Here are a few other strategies to help you |
| trying to motivate myself to send out resumes. | | | | through resistance: |
| He asked, Why don't you stop trying to motivate | | | | * Break big jobs into smaller chunks to avoid |
| yourself and just do it? | | | | overwhelm, and then schedule the small pieces. |
| Duh. | | | | Use checklists to give yourself a sense of |
| Lack of motivation is something each of us | | | | accomplishment, and reward yourself periodically |
| experiences at some point. Having become an | | | | for completing tasks. You might use the "work |
| introspective, "self-help" culture, when something | | | | first, play later" strategy by planning something |
| isn't going our way, we tend to look inside to | | | | fun upon completion of a less desirable task. |
| discover why. What painful feelings from earlier | | | | * Have someone you report to for accountability, |
| experiences are we trying to avoid? What | | | | such as a boss, coworker, spouse, friend or |
| negative expectation do we have? What are we | | | | coach. Sometimes, it's easier to come through for |
| afraid will happen if we complete this task? These | | | | someone else, either to receive praise and |
| can be valuable questions to ask ourselves. | | | | encouragement or to avoid the embarrassment |
| But sometimes, we get bogged down in trying to | | | | of not producing the result you promised. It also |
| process and change these feelings, when a simple | | | | helps to feel you have a partner in your |
| change in behavior is all we need. When we get | | | | endeavor. |
| caught up in our inner world, we can give so | | | | * Rather than trying to avoid or numb out a |
| much energy to our blockages and resistances | | | | feeling of anxiety or overwhelm, allow yourself to |
| that we take what was once a surmountable | | | | go into the feeling. Get quiet, close your eyes if |
| hurdle and turn it into an insurmountable wall. Then | | | | you wish, and breathe deeply. Notice where you |
| we stand there trying to figure out how to | | | | feel the feeling in your body. Stay present with |
| dismantle the wall. Sometimes, just taking action | | | | the sensation. It may get intense for awhile, but |
| can lift us out of those often paralyzing feelings | | | | eventually, it will subside, and you will be able to |
| into a more productive space. | | | | go about your business without the nagging feeling |
| The first step is to know yourself -- how you | | | | of resistance that was stopping you. |
| work best and what gets in your way: | | | | * If you're truly resistant, set a timer for 15 or |
| * Which tasks are most confronting for you? | | | | 30 minutes and go to work. This is a great way |
| When do you become resistant? | | | | to deal with such things as alleviating clutter or |
| * What motivates you? | | | | going through a backlog of e-mail. A small chunk |
| * How much structure do you need? | | | | of time is usually manageable, no matter how |
| * Are you a sprinter (work best for short periods | | | | resistant you are, and the progress you'll see |
| of time) or a long-distance runner (most | | | | from the cumulative effect of those small chunks |
| productive with long blocks of time)? | | | | will motivate you to do more. |
| * Do you need to figure in time for fussing and | | | | Along with these strategies, it's also important to |
| resisting to help you transition into getting down | | | | develop mental discipline and strength of will. I |
| to work? How much time? | | | | read recently that one of the primary reasons we |
| * Do deadlines motivate you or make you feel | | | | don't achieve our life goals is sheer laziness. It's |
| pressured? | | | | easy, in the short-term, to cave in to tiredness, |
| * What time of day are you most alert and | | | | distractions, social pressure and other temptations, |
| focused? | | | | rather than doing what we know will be most |
| * When are you most distracted? How can you | | | | meaningful in the long run. |
| reduce or eliminate those distractions? | | | | Although I'm not an athlete myself, I've come to |
| * Are you more productive when you have | | | | admire the discipline it takes to become a |
| someone to be accountable to? | | | | champion. I clearly remember watching the 1984 |
| Once you've explored these questions, create | | | | Olympics, when American gymnast Julianne |
| systems, routines and rituals to help you through | | | | McNamara fell off the balance beam. My heart |
| the resistance. If you're not already in a | | | | sank for her, but she bounced right back up there |
| structured environment, set up daily schedules | | | | and finished her routine. She went on that year to |
| and goals for yourself to create order and | | | | win a gold medal in uneven bars and silver medals |
| structure. This can alleviate the anxiety around, | | | | in floor exercise and the team competition. Her |
| What do I do next? and, Is there something else | | | | self-discipline and focus made a lasting impression |
| I should be doing now? You can do this on a daily | | | | on me. |
| basis, planning the night before, or on Sunday for | | | | It takes that kind of steely focus to be a winner. |
| the coming week. I suggest planning ahead, rather | | | | Falling into the mire of self-pity can rob us of our |
| than on the same day, so that your subconscious | | | | self-esteem and productivity. We need to have |
| has time to dwell on your plan while you sleep, | | | | the self-discipline to drag ourselves out of the |
| and you wake up mentally prepared to begin. | | | | deep pit of self-pity and talk to ourselves in ways |
| For some people, it works best to schedule the | | | | that will empower and motivate us instead of |
| most important thing first. For others, it helps to | | | | dragging us down. While you may not be an |
| schedule the easy tasks first to encourage them | | | | Olympic athlete, you can be a winner in your own |
| to keep going. Keep a to-do list, with tasks listed | | | | life by keeping your eye on what you want and |
| in the order you'll tackle them, or actually schedule | | | | staying out of the trap of self-pity, refusing to |
| blocks of time in your planner for specific tasks. | | | | allow anxiety, overwhelm or negative self-talk to |
| Be realistic about how much time you'll need -- | | | | win. |
| better to allow too much time than not enough -- | | | | Will and self-discipline need to be developed. Like a |
| and be sure to schedule anything with a deadline | | | | flabby muscle, an out-of-shape, undisciplined will |
| in a timely way. | | | | won't respond to your demands. Start with |
| Once you begin a task, focus on it completely. | | | | something small, like practicing your craft or |
| Let go of all other tasks, knowing that they will | | | | exercising for 15 minutes every day. Don't take |
| be handled in the proper time. If your mind | | | | any excuses from yourself. As you get stronger |
| wanders, bring it back to the job in front of you. | | | | and more consistent, begin to exercise your will in |
| If you're afraid of missing the next appointment, | | | | other, more challenging areas. Then, when the big |
| set an alarm or have someone remind you. | | | | challenges come, you'll have the strength of will to |
| Scheduling in this way helps you to prepare | | | | make powerful choices and follow through, no |
| yourself mentally to approach a task that may be | | | | matter how confronting it is. |
| confronting or bring up resistance. You can also | | | | Remember, the point of power is Now. Whatever |
| create a ritual to transition yourself into a focused | | | | happened in the past, you can always make new |
| and ready state of mind. Your ritual might go like | | | | choices and take different actions, and thus get |
| this: start the coffee machine, turn on the | | | | different results. Jim's words have stayed with |
| computer (set up your easel, change into your | | | | me all these years. Now, when I feel stuck in |
| dance clothes, whatever), get your papers out | | | | anxiety or fear, instead of turning to crossword |
| onto the desk, check e-mail, turn off the phone | | | | puzzles, I start to take actions toward the result I |
| ringers, get a cup of coffee, say a little prayer | | | | want to create. Before I know it, I get absorbed |
| and get to work. The ritual will help your mind to | | | | in what I'm doing, the anxiety disappears and I'm |
| get calm and focused on the job ahead. | | | | well on my way to checking one more item off |
| If you're still resisting, start doing simple, | | | | my to-do list of meaningful accomplishments. |
| non-confronting tasks to get you into the flow, | | | | © 2004 Sharon Good. All rights in all media |
| such as returning phone calls, preparing your tools, | | | | reserved. |