What’s really paralyzing you

And stopping you from doing “the work” and how to move forward

Photo by Kat Stokes on Unsplash

Unless you have a physical disability, you are probably capable of sitting down to do your work. The real battle is in your mind.

I don’t know about you, but for me, resistance emanates from the plethora of choice, the fear of failure and the opinions of others. These sneaky annoyances are what stop me from putting pen to paper.

Here’s a quick exercise to help you identify and overcome what’s paralyzing you from making progress on your most important work.

Name It

The first step in battling these distractors is to name them. To name them you have to do some self reflection.

When you feel the resistance creep in, stop and ask yourself, “What’s really going on here? Why am I not doing the work?” You have to be honest with yourself. Brute force is what the resistance loves. If you skip this step, you’re toast.

Tame It

Once you’ve put a name to it, then you have to proceed to taming it. Taming it is the act of calling it what it is. Speak it out loud if you have to. It quickly loses its power over you just be recognizing it.

Claim It

Now that you have both named what’s blocking you and you’ve tamed it by calling it out, it’s time to claim what you really want.

If you have too many choices, pick something. If you are afraid of failing, choose to learn. If you are afraid of others opinions, welcome their ideas.

Name it, tame it, claim it. That’s it. It’s pretty simple. It’s what I used to get this little post published.