Just do it. You just need to start doing.
Three simple yet important takeaways.
Read my friend’s blog about how he was finding difficulties to stay focus and always got distracted by social media, even if it means aimless scrolling. “I mourn for the loss of my sustained attention.” When I read that, I immediately texted him, “Me too! RIP”
I spent a while trying to search for the root cause of it. “Is it because we are not occupied enough” “Is it because we yearn for that (social) connection” “Is it because we lack motivation?”. I came out with countless possibilities. And I found the ultimate root cause — lockdown.
So what’s next?
1. Own Your Problems
Sometimes, even when we figured out what are the root causes, there is no way we can change what happened / control what is happening. In this scenario, there is no way the lockdown will be lifted anytime soon. So what can I do? I can recognize that I am feeling this way because I chose to react this way. It is my choice. It is also a choice of mine to own the problem and change the way I react.
When you are facing some problems, look for the root cause. If it is something within your control, address it; if it is something beyond your control, address the way you react to it. Own your problems.
While everything is on its way back to normal, we adapt.
2. Things Never Get Easier, We Just Get Better
Even though I was an athlete back in college, besides the usual training sessions, I rarely exercised and I hated running. After college, I practically didn’t exercise much during my university days. I was lazy. When I started running again, I barely survived 2km.
Thankfully, with more practices, 2km has become a bare minimum whenever I run. It became easier to run 2km. But here comes the question, did it get easier? I am still running the same 2km as previously. It didn’t get easier, I just got better at it.
Practice makes perfect. This never gets old.
3. Start Doing
“Motivation often comes after starting, not before. Action produces momentum” — James Clear
I actually have a list of things that I want to do, but I just couldn’t motivate myself to start doing any of them. Maybe what I need is not the “motivation”, but is to start doing. Action produces momentum and motivation comes after.
Of course, it is easier said than done. But if we try to think about it from another perspective, instead of trying to “complete the task”, we just need to “start doing”, which is the easier one? The latter one.
We just need to start doing it. Just do it.
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