Just Do What’s In Front of You
Whether you’ve been away for the holidays, out sick or simply blue, one of the challenges of returning to work is “getting back in the groove.” Having battled
depression for many years, I am painfully familiar with being hopelessly “stuck.” Allow me to pass along these three tricks to help you get unstuck.
The way Law of Attraction works is that you attract more of what you focus on. Please read that sentence again. You stubborn learners may need to read it a third time.
If you are telling yourself (and others), “Oh, it’s so hard to get going today,” you are making the situation worse.
It’s sad but true that we humans would rather be right than happy. Logic says you would prefer being energetic and eager to tackle your work instead of feeling burdened. However, as you persist in focusing on how difficult it is to get going, you will naturally attract to you evidence that you are right! (Not to mention all those co-workers who are happy to join you in your misery.)
Just because your thoughts are coming from your brain doesn’t mean they are accurate. YOU CAN ARGUE WITH THEM. If you groan while thinking, “I just can’t get interested in my work today,” spend a few moments counteracting the effects of that thought. Perhaps you can say, “It was hard to get out of bed this morning, but now that I’m here, I’m going to have a good time. I’ll be productive so that getting
out of bed tomorrow will be easier!”
Trick #1: Change your focus.
Your brain can’t tell the difference between pretend and reality. If you act as if you are energetic and eager to tackle your work, your feelings will soon follow and action will become easier and easier.
It’s pretty hard to have a bad day after you’ve danced to music you like, taken a brisk walk around the block striding as if you’re on top of the world, or laughing loud and long at a comedy CD in your car on the way to work.
Your body tells your brain how you feel. Hold your body as if you’re having the time of your life. Grin. Your brain will be fooled and send “feel good” chemicals into your blood stream. You’ll then actually be in the good mood that you’ve been faking. It’s an amazing process.
Trick #2 – Act as if.
Nearly two decades ago, in my first year of recovery from alcoholism, I had a new sales job. I was also very depressed. I had been in sales for many years and knew what needed to be done and how to do it. And yet, I would walk into my office, close the door and simply stare at the phone. I couldn’t muster the energy to pick it up, even though I knew that if I didn’t, I wouldn’t make any money. I was stuck.
I was fortunate at that time to have a mentor who I called when I was in emotional trouble. Each and every time I called, she would ask, “What do you need to do right now?” When I told her, she would say, “Just do what’s in front of you.”
I called her like this for months. I may be a slow learner but after a while, knowing my mentor would always say the same things, even I figured out I could do it for myself.
Trick #3 – Just do what’s in front of you.
All of us have trouble getting started from time to time. The three tricks outlined above always work for me. The key is to use them. There’s a wonderful
expression my mentor used that sums it up beautifully:
You can’t think your way into right acting, but you can act your way into right thinking.
