Need a quick fix?
A short story on getting off the couch
It was a many years ago that she had once scribbled these lines:
“I sit here at a white window under a white sky.
Watching the world go by…
I have a million things to do
Yet I dunno why…
Today I just wanna watch the world go by.”
An innocent rhyme from yesteryear had more significance in her life today, than ever before.
Sleeping in late, somehow managing to waltz into the nearby gym, pretending to work out while chatting up some equally unenthusiastic individual on the treadmill, waltzing back home, pottering around aimlessly, never ending daily video chats with friends and family, an equally late lunch which sometimes got replaced with objectionable snacks….it was like laziness had crept in from the back door and made it’s way into her life. It manifested itself wherever she went.
What ensued as a result was an internal battle. The battle between knowing that it was ‘alright to have a day of doing nothing once in a while’ v/s realizing that it was ‘growing to become more of an unhealthy habit.’ The strategy to overcome this lazy addiction was simple and yet most days she found herself sprawled on the couch doing just that, nothing at all. “If you go to think about it, you’re always doing something even when you’re doing nothing at all,” was her twisted excuse.
So what was the simple strategy to overcome, you may ask?
One such day; as she was wallowing in her third hour of surfing the television channels over a bag of kettle cooked chips, there was a small voice around her… or was it inside her, it was hard to distinguish. It was the same small voice that she often heard in her head. Up until today it was very soft, she could barely hear it. Not today though, today she could hear it loud and clear.
And it clearly said… “Snap out of it!” It was simple as that.
Taking the decision was the tough part, once she had decided it was fairly simple from thereon.
As she settled into a new country, she was still waiting on licenses and work permits, weighing the choices of new opportunities on offer. She enjoyed reading and found little time for it previously balancing home with a full time job. Today she could grab the chance to do just that. She read interesting books from her field of work and other inspirational articles which caught her eye. For a change she decided to get off the couch and sat comfortably on the chair by the window where she read on avidly.
Over the next week, she read six books!
This stimulus created a shift in temperament and mentality. The constructive utilization of available resources spurred her on to new ideas and possibilities. Thereby, crossing the bridge from ‘lazy’ to ‘motivated’ to ‘ready for some action.’ It proved to be just what the doctor would have recommended, the ultimate quick fix. Totally free of cost with no proven side effects.
The journey from there on was much simpler.
Notes from my desk:
There are no un-resourceful people only un-resourceful states.
In order to bring about change in this moment try to alter your present state of being. Not just your state of mind but your state of space too. This allows a shift in psychology and physiology, to a more desirable one, which can then fuel a more productive state.
I chose books as my alibi. What’s yours?
