Break Bad Habits
Build Better Ones
Become Better Men
- Nate Whitson -
I hate a dirty house.
I really do!
It's something that I genuinely have to work on in my home because I belive very strongly that "cleanliness is next to godliness" and that there's a proper place for everything to go.
My family disagrees.
But I get it and I think I know what I need to do to help them clean more and keep me from being a jerk and nagging them constantly to pick up after themselves and take care of their crap.
The answer may surprise you and may also be a clue for how you can help inspire other people (or yourself) to change bad habits.
Imagine for a minute that YOU'RE the one who hates picking up after himself and that you dread cleaning the house.
You look around the house and just don't want to pick up the clothes that are on the floor, sweep up the mess that the kids made at dinner, and the mere thought of having to do all of the dishes makes you want to just lay down and take a nap instead.
So you wait.
And the dishes pile up and the floor gets dirtier and there are more clothes not less.
Now pause with me and consider this:
Is bending down to do any of these tasks REALLY all that crazy?
Do you REALLY think it's going to be as bad as you're making it out to be?
No. But it feels that way because you believe that to clean the house means you're not just going to have to do SOME of the stuff - but ALL of the stuff and that is the thought that wears you and makes you dread the work the most.
But what if there was a way of making things like this seem "not so bad"?
There is! Here's how:
Set a timer for just 5 minutes. That's all you've got to do now. Just 5 minutes of work!
Instantly, how does that make you feel about this dreaded task?
Most likely, you feel like you can breathe. You think, "That's not so bad. It's just 5 minutes. I can do that!"
And that's the trick...to make the change you need to make seem "not so bad".
What did you do?
You simply made it easier to get moving. That's all!
In many cases, you'll likely finish the job and find that you dreaded it but even doing the whole thing wasn't so bad. You just thought it would be!
That's the battle right there!
We THINK it is going to be dreadful and so we delay doing anything.
This only compounds the issue and creates a vicious cycle.
To break it - make doing something simpler. That's it!
This 5-minute timer idea can be a breakthrough for you today.
What other areas of your life need changing but you're thinking of it all wrong?
- Maybe you need to lose 50 pounds but you're stuck in the cycle of dreading the work and yet knowing you need to move. If so, set a 5-minute timer and just do something. Then see what happens.
- Maybe you have a relationship issue at home that needs addressed and you're afraid its going to take years to restore it or fix it. Instead, set a 5-minute timer to just spend quality time with that person and just do something positive. Then see what happens.
Hopefully, you get the point.
We often don't change things because we dread what we THINK is going to be a huge mountain to climb.
But if you'd just reduce the change down to something smaller that you can do, you may find the momentum you've been needing to make progress.
Progress is a powerful thing.
Its the fuel you need to keep moving toward bigger change.
The only thing you need to do is move. Act. Get going.
How?
Shrink the change to smaller parts and just get moving.
Heck, maybe all you need to get where you need to go is a simple 5-minute timer!
Nate
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P.S.
Do you ever find yourself in that vicious cycle of dreading what you need to do but knowing that delaying it only makes it worse?
If so, maybe the 5-minute timer idea that we talked about today is the catalyst you'll need to get moving and create change in lots of areas of your life.
Think about it:
How else can you reduce the dread and make doing something simpler and easier?
Figure this and you'll find yourself changing and growing in no time!
