Do you ever feel like you just don’t have the energy to do something? You know it should be done – you just can’t summon the discipline to proceed. I dare say all of us feel this way at times. Common things we tell ourselves are:
- “I’m not ready.”
- “I’ll do it later.”
- “I’m afraid of what might happen.”
- “I’ll look foolish.”
- “This is awkward.”
- “When I have had more experience I’ll do it.”
This inactivity leads to a delay which ends up meaning you do nothing. By your inaction, you may feel irritated with yourself. You may find that delay and indecision leads to more delay and indecision!
I read an interesting book recently that addressed this subject. Mel Robbins wrote a book titled The Five Second Rule. The author makes the point that hesitation leads to inaction. I found this concept fascinating. I tried the process on some simple tasks like getting up early for a yoga class, getting off the sofa and doing a load of laundry, etc. The premise is that you have 5 seconds to get in motion. It was amazing how this works. After getting in motion I felt better. As I continued to listen to my instincts and move to action I gained confidence that I could count on myself to do the things I knew I should do. It starts with baby steps but it builds.
An interesting story from the book tells about Michelangelo. He was asked to paint the ceiling in the Sistine Chapel. He felt inadequate to do such a big undertaking and panicked. He ran away to another town. The Pope had someone find him and compelled him to perform the job. The rest is history. It makes you wonder how many unpainted Sistine Chapels there are out there!
