Do it Now

Do it Now

Do you want to feel good today? Then do the ‘thing’ that you are avoiding, and do it now!

Think about all the time and energy you waste by avoiding doing the ‘thing’ whatever that ‘thing’ is. You know what I am talking about. It’s the ‘thing’ that bothers you all day long and then you feel like a loser at the end of the day because you didn’t do it. Yes you would rather do the dishes, clean the garage, and volunteer on board meetings that you hate, than do the ‘thing’.

The ‘thing’ probably came up in your New Year’s resolutions. Here it is January and if you are like most people the ‘thing’ has already fallen off your (New Year’s resolutions) wagon. Now instead of feeling hopeful and fabulous because this is the year that you are going to do the ‘thing’, you feel like a sack of shame.

So what’s ‘your’ thing? Your ‘thing’ could be…

• To get in shape
• Start writing
• Find a better job
• Have a consistent quiet time

So how are you doing? If you are like most people you haven’t gotten very far.

Why do you avoid doing the ‘thing’ you really want to do and will make you happy?

Maybe it is because you feel it doesn’t matter and besides there is no time for you after you take care of everyone else.

During a session a client told me, I feel everyone else is driving my life. This would be your family, work, friends, church, and every place you volunteer. It’s easy to put yourself last on the list.

See you get things done for other people.

You go to work and take your kids to school. You go to the grocery store, and help your kids with homework. You get your volunteer work done.

But it is hard to do things for you. But what if you knew this ‘thing’ was very, very important. That it is not only important for you, but it is important for everyone in your life and could serve the world.

See you can accomplish a lot and be miserable if you don’t do the ‘thing’. This is because you are blowing off something important and sacred to you. Then the sneaky, mean, perfectionist voice says. Yeah you’re a failure because you didn’t do the ‘thing’.

And when this happens over and over it’s easy to settle and give up.

You can turn this around!

I had a client come in this week. Jane is married and has two teenage daughters.  Jane has a good relationship with her daughters. She lives in a beautiful home and doesn’t have any financial problems. She volunteers at school and church and is loved by everyone.

She has it all and yet she is not happy.

Jane gained 40 pounds this year and doesn’t feel good about her body. She exercised consistently in the past but this year she just gave up. Jane’s New Year resolution is to get into shape and lose 40 pounds. She wants to eat better and exercise.

Jane volunteers and does a million things for her family, but when it comes to exercising she gets paralyzed. She told me it’s because, All I think about is the 40 pounds and I can’t do anything.

Here is where I started with Jane.

1. Focus on the next step.

If you are going to climb a mountain you are going to do it one step at a time. You can’t focus on how far you need to go. You need to focus on the next step.

Jane needs to focus on the next step not the 40 pounds.

2. Define it so you can win

Jane wants to work out every day but she hasn’t worked out in over a year. This is a total set up for shame.

Jane has exercise equipment at home. I asked Jane to sit on her exercise equipment for 5 minutes a day. I told her she didn’t have to exercise and she could call a friend. She laughed and agreed to do it. (Humor always helps.)

I set her up to win. I want her to be successful and feel those good feelings. See every time she thinks about the 40 pounds she gets frozen in shame.

I redirected her focus to the little victory. Having experienced success she can take the next step.

3. Get Support

Jane is very giving and is always there for her friends. I told Jane this could be an opportunity for one of her friends to support her. She said, yes I can get my friend across the street to come over and talk with me while I am on the exercise machine.

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We all need support to do our ‘thing’.

I am so grateful to be in a coaching group and have the support and accountability from my coach and the members of the group. Because of them I’m doing my ‘thing’ and I am doing it now.