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How to Get Yourself to Do the Things You Want to Do – TPW026

January 21, 2015 by Laura in podcast • Leave a Comment

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  • How to Get Yourself to Do the Things You Want to Do – TPW026
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Why is it so hard to get ourselves to do the things we most want to do? Few things in life are more exasperating than the way we sometimes sabotage our own goals. In this episode we look at some of the reasons why that happens, and offer some suggestions to address those issues, get past that resistance, and accomplish the things that matter most.

Breaking Through Resistance

“Resistance” – Where It Comes From and How It Manifests

There are scientific explanations for why we have such a hard time getting ourselves to do things we really, really want to do. Author Steven Pressfield calls it “resistance”; writers and scientists blame it on the “lizard brain” (see the resources below for more info), which kicks into gear to protect us from “danger” whenever we want to do something new or different.

1.  Fatigue

  • Thoughts about getting more and/or better sleep

2.  Feeling overwhelmed

  • Break the project down into bite-sized pieces
  • Don’t overthink it
  • Set a timer
  • Give yourself permission to be imperfect — “Done is better than perfect”

3.  Distraction

  • Identify the distraction
  • Do a brain dump
  • Adjust your environment

4.  Fear

  • Look the fear in the eye
  • Find an advocate to encourage you

5.  Lack of motivation

  • Remember the why

What about you?

Is there something you really want to accomplish but just can’t seem to get it done? Will you try one (or more) of the suggestions in this episode, or can you suggest something that works for you that the rest of us might try? Please share your thoughts in the comments.

Resources for More Information

  • The War of Art: Break Through the Blocks and Win Your Inner Creative Battles, by Steven Pressfield
  • Do the Work, by Steven Pressfield
  • “Quieting the Lizard Brain” (blog post) by Seth Godin.
  • “Where Addiction Meets Your Brain,” by Joseph Truncate, M.D., on PsychologyToday.com, talking about the science behind the “lizard brain” concept.
  • “How to Beat Your Lizard Brain,” by Francisco Sáez on the facilethings.com blog.
  • Focus at Will – soundtracks for work, scientifically designed to help you focus.

A Couple Reminders

  • We would love your support in the nominations for the 10th Podcast Awards. If you love The Productive Woman podcast, please click on this link to sign up for information about how you can support this podcast and others on the Noodle.mx network. (Don’t worry; it’ll cost you nothing but a few minutes of your time!)
  • I’d love to come to your next women’s event or group meeting to talk about productivity for busy women. If you’re looking for a speaker to help encourage the women at your event, contact me via email at feedback@theproductivewoman.com or call me at 972.638.0308!
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About Laura

Laura McClellan is a lawyer, a writer, a productivity enthusiast, and a tech geek. Married for 40 years to her high school sweetheart, with whom she's raised five amazing kids, she's passionate about encouraging women in their individual journeys as people, wives, mothers, citizens. Laura blogs occasionally at I Was Just Thinking . . . and Real Estate Law Blog and is working on her first novel. Connect with Laura on Twitter as @LauraMcMom.

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