Making the Essential Enjoyable & Easy
Making Monday
I've heard it said that how we feel on Mondays is one of the clearest indicators of life satisfaction. Here is a quick thought on how to make Monday—and every day—work better...
Tipping Into Action
We get stalled or struggle to get started on essential things.
That just seems to be part of being human.
But there's a way to get back to healthy action by recognizing and using a particular tipping point.
By tipping point I mean the specific place at which something leaning transitions over to falling, carried forward after that by the pull of gravity.
Here is that point…
When the cost or pain of inaction becomes greater than the discomfort or uncertainty of action, I get moving.
For example, I don't like doing taxes (or prepping for my accountant to do them, to be more precise). But as the deadline nears, my discomfort at getting started becomes less than the headache of last-minute scrambling or the nightmare of a dust-up with the IRS, so I knock it out.
We can consciously use this tipping point when we find ourselves stuck on something important or essential.
We can heighten awareness of the cost of inaction by taking a moment to reflect on the practical, emotional, and relational costs of inaction or incompletion.
This step strips away elements of defense and denial that may be involved in rationalizing our inaction.
It also elevates urgency.
And we can reduce our discomfort at getting (re)started by considering a few questions.
Do I have the knowledge, skills, and tangible resources needed for my next step? If not, where can I get them?
Have I done this before, or do I have transferrable experience? If not, who or where can I learn from?
And my favorite…
What would happen if I just threw an hour at it? I can pour coffee, put on tunes, roll up my sleeves, and find out.
We don't need to chop down the whole tree.
Not today, at least. That's the perspective that gets us stuck.
We just need the nudge that move us to the point where gravity takes over.
When we do, we find greater ease and enjoyment in doing the essential.
Together, let's end the fight to change—
Delmar
