It depends
Toss a Coin
There will always be a reason to wait. Consider what happens when an adventurer straps on a parachute and goes up in a plane to jump out of it. There might be a few minutes of trepidation as they gaze out of the open door waiting for a signal to reach the jump zone. There is no precise spot in the sky that is better than others but there is definitely going to be a point where jumping would be more dangerous. There is always the option of just returning to the ground with the pilot when the plane lands. There was an option to jump or wait but only the jumper knows which one to take.
Shooting above my Weight
There are times when humans can surprise themselves. You have seen acts of strength when a group lifts a vehicle off of a person trapped underneath it. Earthquake zones are full of brave folks steadily yanking up heavy building parts to find survivors. Knowing that you only have fifteen minutes to get dressed instead of thirty will definitely move your body faster. We can at times do more than we normally do. Generally speaking, these are unplanned. Maybe that is the real secret. Our ability to over perform on occasion is based on need rather than intention. Our minds go into a mode of action and we act heroically. Pretty cool.
Tapping in
It may come down to a simple thought. We do what we think we can, or we do what we think we can’t. Overriding our personal systems is a personal skill that must be developed to understand when and how to use it. This may require a major change in habit. The doom scrolling that results in wasted time can be replaced with dreaming and planning in the journal. This definitely uses the intention to change as well as the boring repetition in the early stages of just picking up the journal and writing. If the mantra is we do what we think we can than the effort will pay off eventually. Doom scrolling through journal entries will result in better outcomes than via social media. It might not be as entertaining but if the journal is opened every day, something will be written that bounces the mind to the next place and the next place after that.
Repetition works
Remember when you first practiced a three-point turn to pass a driving test? Life requires a lot of driving skills. You probably don’t look down when putting on a blinker anymore or think about where to place your hands properly. Replacing fifteen minutes of social media scrolling with fifteen minutes of getting back to planning a life is a great trade-off. Let’s go back to our mantra. We do what we think we can, or we do what we think we can’t. Fitting this into daily decision making provides automatic context that is not always easy to find. This is your sign to steal your life back in increments. Searching for the tasks that give inadequate results encourages the focus to change without upsetting every other part that may be working. This year has gently taught you to change. Add on this practical step and you will reach the next level.
Can you step back and see how much clearer your dreams appear? Pick yourself up and move on.
