What I tell myself when I don’t want to do something

When you don’t want to do something that’s good for you and you do it anyway, that’s when it counts most.

Cooking veggies, quinoa, beans, and dressing when all you want to do is place your body horizontally on the couch and watch cat reels.

Lacing up your sneakers and getting out the door when exercising is the very last thing on Earth you want to do.

Opening your computer and working when doing a deep clean of your cat’s litter box sounds better than engaging your brain to tackle all the projects.

Having a hard conversation when it's so much easier to stay quiet.

Things that are best for us long term are often the hardest things to do. The things that don’t help us long term are usually the easiest things to do. This isn’t because you have a first place medal in self-sabotage, this is because humans are wired to conserve energy, avoid pain, and be efficient.

When it’s time for me to do something I know is ultimately good for me but I don’t want to do, here’s what I tell myself:

If I don’t want to do it now, I won’t want to do it later. Let’s go. 

That doesn’t make me want to do the thing, but it does get me to do the thing.

Don’t wait until you want to, that may never happen. Instead, do the thing when you don’t want to and show yourself it’s possible to move forward in the direction of your dreams, regardless of whether or not you’re motivated.

Once you start taking steps and doing the things, you realize it’s not as daunting as your brain made it out to be.

If you don’t want to now, you won’t want to later. Three, two, one, GO!

After you do the thing, listen to my new podcast episode with a friend of mine, Michelle Cehn, founder of World of Vegan. Listen to our delightful conversation here or watch it on YouTube.

Molly