How to do anything, even when tired.
You know the drill. On your way home from work you are super excited about going home to write something. But, when you get there, you’re dead tired from the whole day and just want to plop down on the couch with a rerun of Suits. What do you do when you feel simply too tired to engage in your hobbies? It could be writing, football, anything which requires intense concentration over long periods of time. I find that when I am tired, I won’t be able to do anything productive, whether I want it or not. So, I don’t. Instead, I sit down and do the fun part of my hobby, just entering the flow state, and engaging without really putting much thought into what is being written. The article you’re currently reading is a product of that. Simple brainstorming and flow state.
When you’re too tired to do something, it’s your body’s way of telling you that you’re overworked. You want to wind down; you want to sit on the couch, and you certainly don’t want to do anything more. No matter how passionate you are about the topic, it’s like when you’re out drinking and the time comes for getting home, that taxi seems very alluring even though you know you can get home without one. But how do you get through that mental fog and actually do what needs to be done in the moment. For many a time, you’re not actually as tired as your body is telling you, it’s an illusion. And as long as you push through for that first step, you’ll be able to go on to do great things.
You’ve probably noticed by now that I talk in big terms, because this isn’t just about doing things when you’re tired. It’s also about doing things when you don’t want to do them. Have you ever tried the cold shower challenge? 1 cold shower a day for 30 days. Standing in front of that showerhead and looking at the ice-cold water running down, it’s a painful process. Or is it? Whenever I stand in front of that showerhead for my daily cold shower, am amused by how hard my mind is trying to keep me away from that water. How much are we really in control of what we do? Are you able to push through an uncomfortable sensation and keep going? I envision it as kind of a rubber band, you do a bit of work and it stretches, at some point it gets really hard to pull it further, and if you pull just a little bit more it stretches too much and goes POP.
Take that first step. Pop that rubber band. Because once you’ve accomplished the first step, the second is not that hard. If you’re like me, you’re probably envisioning too far into the future; Looking at what the future is like, before you’ve experienced it. Don’t do that. It makes everything too hard. Because you’re too honest with yourself, you can see the struggle you put yourself through. Instead, do one thing in that direction. Just the one. And like dominos your mind will unleash itself and push through for you.
Always push on further.