Resistance - everything (in your environment) that makes it difficult for you to do things - contributes to the lack of progress but a failure to exercise devotion to the application of effort appears to be the more probable cause.
As posited in this post, resistance robs you of resources required to apply effort. Yet, effort helps you get rid of resistance.
So, how do you solve this conundrum?
Here is a simple reframe you can adopt:
At moments when resistance has the upper hand, it is useful to exercise effort not towards the task tugging for attention but towards resistance itself and the elements from which it receives power.
So, say you want to get better at coding, but find you that never get around to actually coding. Rather than ruminate about how you are a "failure" or a "procrastinator", probe the situation with these questions:
Given that it is a new year, and the air is thick with echos of resolutions, now is a good time to entertain reflections on unpacking the discomfort brought along from putting off particular tasks. Effort is the currency you need to make progress. But it will serve to apply your effort not at executing the tasks but at using a journal and a habit tracker to dismantle the forces that orchestrate to keep you from devoting yourself and effort to the tasks. The progress you make on the tasks themselves will, when you look back, become evident.
The how of maintaining an effective habit tracker will be subject of the next post.
As posited in this post, resistance robs you of resources required to apply effort. Yet, effort helps you get rid of resistance.
So, how do you solve this conundrum?
Here is a simple reframe you can adopt:
At moments when resistance has the upper hand, it is useful to exercise effort not towards the task tugging for attention but towards resistance itself and the elements from which it receives power.
So, say you want to get better at coding, but find you that never get around to actually coding. Rather than ruminate about how you are a "failure" or a "procrastinator", probe the situation with these questions:
- Do I have a system for showing up to code?
- Which part of my system for showing up to code does failure occur?
- What update to the failing part of my system can be done to allow progress?
It is here, in addition to keeping a journal, you should adopt a habit tracker to enable the presentation of retrospective feedback. The hard evidence provided by the metrics you use to track and your scribblings of observations as well as lessons from your dealings will serve to offset the dynamics of your motivations (towards application of effort).
Put simply: When you have the prospect of crossing an X on your tracker to indicate you failed to show up to do what you said you'll do, you'll be more likely to show up. The hard evidence generates sufficient gradients of shame to stir you in the direction that aligns with your desired self.
Given that it is a new year, and the air is thick with echos of resolutions, now is a good time to entertain reflections on unpacking the discomfort brought along from putting off particular tasks. Effort is the currency you need to make progress. But it will serve to apply your effort not at executing the tasks but at using a journal and a habit tracker to dismantle the forces that orchestrate to keep you from devoting yourself and effort to the tasks. The progress you make on the tasks themselves will, when you look back, become evident.
The how of maintaining an effective habit tracker will be subject of the next post.
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