That Thing You Should Be Doing: DO IT
Welcome, welcome, welcome to everyone coming over from my interview on YourGreatLifeTV! I hope you enjoy the site! (Haven’t checked out my interview? Go see what I’m talking about by clicking here!
I’ve been struggling with increasingly tight shoulders for the past few years now.
They pop when I reach overhead. They don’t bend in certain directions.
I always put off foam rolling and stretching because it didn’t really affect me or my workouts in the immediate sense. I had just learned to live with it.
This was the wrong move to take… or not take.
I’m now being woken up by an intense tingling sensation multiple times every night.
I sleep on my stomach in a sort of walk-like-an-Egyptian pose. No matter which way I turn, I get woken up a few minutes later with arms still asleep.
I’m going to see a sports chiropractor this week so he can get all the junk out, but why did I have to wait until now to do so? Why did I have to wait until money needed to be spent to fix it? GAAAARRRRRGGGGHHHHH!!!
Do you wait until things get unbearable to make changes? Or worse, until it’s too late and you can’t do anything about it?
Do you keep putting off that one thing you know you need to do that will keep you from more pain in the future?
Why?
Fear, right?
Damn fear. Always getting in our way when we want to do important sh**.
Well, friends, let’s stop waiting, shall we?
Let’s make a pact right here. Right now.
This week, we will take those actions we’ve been putting off, and stop living in denial that they won’t come back and bite us in the ass in the future!
These shoes were made for walking, not for sitting in the back of your closet…
This applies to those things you know you have to do like:
exercise
stretch
eat right
drink water
sleep 7-8 hours
take responsibility for your actions rather than blame others
call your family
And those you know you need to STOP doing like:
biting your nails
smoking
drinking
being rude to people
shouting at your husband
throwing tantrums
Here’s how to start/stop doing those things that you know need to be taken care of:
Use fear to your advantage.
Fear aint goin’ anywhere. We know that.
Those people who are out there living crazy awesome lives doing the things that we want to do? They aren’t just weird people who don’t experience fear. They just know how to use it to their own advantage.
That’s what we’re going to try to teach you today.
We let fear talk us out of taking so many actions, but we don’t let it talk us INTO taking very many.
When we accept fear as a given, rather than try to resist it or cower to it, we can use it as a tool to take positive action and change our lives.
Notebook time, boys and girls. You thought the kiddies were the only ones going back to school early…
1. Write down that thing you need to do
That one thing that keeps nagging at you that you know you should do (or stop doing), write that down here. Common ones are in the list above.
Concentrate on one habit at a time and it’s more likely to stick.
2. Write down why you don’t do it
This is your last chance to write down every excuse you have for why you don’t take action.
Here are some common reasons for some of those actions on the lists above:
I don’t exercise because I don’t have time, I’m too tired, or I don’t like it.
I don’t eat right because I don’t have the time to prepare healthy food, I don’t know what to eat, or I just can’t stick to it.
I haven’t stopped smoking because it’s too hard to quit, it relaxes me and I’m so stressed out, or I just like doing it.
I haven’t stopped being rude to people because I’m just so tired all the time and “nice” takes effort, I know I probably won’t see them again, or I don’t care enough to try.
3. Write down why you should do it
Why should you do those things that you know will enrich your life? Obviously, you think that this action would add joy to your life in some way, so list that joy here.
For the same actions as above, why’s could include:
If I exercise, I’ll feel more energized, look better, live longer and perform daily tasks more easily.
If I eat right, I’ll stop having energy slumps, look better, live longer, and teach my children by example.
If I stop smoking, I’ll be able to breathe better, live longer, probably look and smell better, and be able to exercise/perform daily tasks more easily.
If I stop being rude to people, I’ll feel better about myself and add love to the world, instead of fueling negativity.
4. Choose to Do It
We all know I’m not a big fan of “should-ing,” so let’s scrap that and go with some concrete “choose-tos.”
Those shoulds you listed above? Put them in the present tense and make them choices you can take or leave.
For example, the above list would turn into this:
I choose to exercise to stay energized, look better, live longer and perform daily tasks more easily.
I choose to eat right so that I don’t crash midday, I’ll look better, live longer and teach my children by example.
I choose not to smoke because I want to breathe better, live longer, look and smell better, and be able to exercise/perform daily tasks more easily.
I choose not to be rude to people because I feel better about myself when I’m not, and I want to be a positive influence in this world, rather than fuel the negativity.
Realize that taking these actions is all up to you. No one is going to force you to live the life you deserve. You have to do it yourself.
When you reframe the “shoulds” as choices, you rid yourself of that nagging voice we all fight against, and instead makes each action an opportunity to achieve greatness.
The bottom line is that if you put off taking these small actions, it’s not a matter of the chance that bad things will happen; it’s a matter of when.
Every action listed can better your life in the present as well as in the future. Why wait to take this opportunity?
You’ll feel better.
Your future self will thank you.
And maybe you’ll even save some money. :)
Life is one big opportunity, guys. Take it.
Yes, the 30-Day Challenge is halfway over! Are you staying strong?
I’ve stuck to my guns by selecting snacks at night due only to hunger (rather than eating out of boredom or habit). I’m definitely seeing the difference in my body as well as my mind; I’m down 4 pounds!
It’s not too late to join- Come on over to the Facebook page for more details!
Wow Amy! Your posts blow my mind everytime, especially the one when you talked about us doing workouts for ten minute straight. These DIY type posts you have that urge us to make a change NOW is just what we need. To stop and DO the activity as we keep reading.
I just did this and filled up just barely under two pages with the questions and answers and I do realize point blank: there is no reason to be making up excuses. These excuses, seeing them written down, just look silly. In the mind it takes on a much more powerful persona. But today, I am choosing to make the change.
Thanks for the post :) I needed a good kick start.
Yes yes YES, Ashlyn! I love hearing that!
I may have a fun post coming up that you’ll enjoy… with a friend of mine… that’s it for the hints. ;)
Love the interview, I mean REALLY loved it! Half way already? I’m kicking craving bread and sweet things by eating beans with every meal (kidney beans, pinto and chickpeas) they also help me stay fuller for longer… so it’s all going well.
Sarah Woods
Thank you, Sarah! I’m glad you liked the interview! I am so grateful to have been able to share my story with YourGreatLifeTV.
WOOOOOO! Very happy to hear that you’re still succeeding with the bread-kicking! :)
Beans helped me a lot when I made the transition away from processed grains, too. Let me know if you have any questions as you go through the process. :)
Hey, Amy!
I like the idea of writing down things you don’t do and why, because it really works.
I used to hold everything (shoulds and don’ts) in my head. However, being a person who has a habit to overthink things, I usually kept on thinking-analyzing-worrying about my new ideas until all the enthusiasm was buried under the pile of doubts and fears.
However, I began to write all it down. I literally create a text file on my PC’s desktop and put my thought in it as they flow in my mind.
For example, when I made a decision to sign in a gym I was still hesitating for some time. My fear was that if I spent 20+ years of my life barely exercising, then why would I start now? Plus, I worried that I would feel awkward in a gym and everyone would make fun of me because I was weaker than other gym frequenters. So I took some time to put it all down. Then I went further and wrote down why I should go to a gym: “it will make me healthier and stronger”, had put some inspirational phrases, like “Every achiever was a beginner some day”, you know :-)
Afterwards, everytime I had a doubt crept into my head I simply would open that file and reread my writings, and head to a gym for another workout. I’ve been attending gym for 2 years now, so (as I mentioned above) it works.
Thanks for the post!
Alex recently posted..Aug 12, How You Can Recreate Your Social Circle
Alex, I love that story! Thank you for sharing that here. It’s a perfect example of what we’re talking about!
Keep squashing those fears by exposing them, Alex!
Hey Amy, I just found our site today and glad I did.
Love the stuff here. Thanks for the kick. I’m going out on a ride now.
Stay Strong and Be Inspired.
Geoff Reese recently posted..You Can Change Everything
So glad to hear it, Geoff! Welcome and I hope to see more of you here soon! :)
I am experiencing the same health issue. Exactly what does cause the tingling? I haven’t had a good night sleep in years. I hope you will share this with us.
Hey Paula!
It could be many things. My chiropractor did a lot of assessment before we determined that it was an issue of tightness in the shoulders as well as tendinitis. My neck also seemed to be part of the issue. Unfortunately, I can’t tell you for sure what your issue is, but I highly recommend going to a good chiropractor that has great knowledge of anatomy.
By the way, I am still going strong on my 30 day challenge!
Nice! Me too! Really glad to hear it!