There Will Always be Things We Don’t Want to Do

I find that my most creative moments arise when I’m trying to avoid doing something. There’s always an excuse to delay an unenjoyable task, but even the things we enjoy come with un-fun parts (sledding is fun until we have to walk back up the hill). This post discusses how to do something you don’t want to do, especially if you need to do it.

Slowing Down is Fine, but Don’t Stop!

When I come into an undesirable task I have to complete, I often find myself wanting to delay starting (more accurately, wanting to avoid it at all costs). It may be tempting to avoid a particular assignment, but take care; it’s a slippery slope. Taking our time with a task is perfectly fine as long as we get the job done.

With all of life’s tasks, it is easy to see why we would want to (and often have to) pick through what we prioritize. There will be different levels of importance and urgency even for things we need to do, and we have to plan our time wisely to make sure everything is done appropriately. In order to best weigh our tasks and build actionable strategies, we are wise to slow down and plan our approach (for more on this, check HERE).

Slowing down can be great, but we should try to never stop.

When we stop, we distance ourselves from a task, making it infinitely harder to get back to work (especially if it’s something we didn’t want to do in the first place). Stopping can lead to missing deadlines, rushing to complete tasks, and overall inferior work. This can be applicable to maintaining our clothes, doing dishes, or completing a work project (for example: if I stop putting my clothes away after wearing them and let them pile, it can feel ten times more difficult to get back in the habit and put everything away. Similarly, I am much more stressed about a work project when I’ve ignored it for a while after getting to a part I did not want to do).

Breaking Tasks into Smaller Pieces

Stopping a task altogether can lead to worsened productivity across all aspects of life. Have you ever been in a bad mood because you’ve procrastinated an assignment or skipped a workout? I know I have. I’ll find myself stuck at my desk for the day thinking about how I missed a stretch and feel tight or how I really need to file a motion but would rather get dropped out of a plane in the middle of Alaska in only gym shorts and a v-neck.

We have to recognize that it isn’t always possible to get everything done in one go. Sometimes a full stretch routine just isn’t happening, and I might need a few attempts at a demand letter before it makes sense. I find that if I keep myself moving (even a little bit), I make it infinitely easier to keep going and build productivity as needed.

Breaking a task or project into smaller pieces can make the work more approachable, helping us take on tough work in smaller quantities (the same can be done for workouts — check HERE!). When we approach a task in pieces, we are able to keep progressing in checkpoints, making sure that the work we put in doesn’t go to waste. If possible, breaking apart a task can help you keep momentum in your favor and avoid completely stopping a task.

Sometimes, however, we have to stop.

Get Back Moving With a Call to Action

While stopping can feel like it creates an insurmountable wall between where we were going and where we are now, it can just as easily be counteracted if we learn how to get ourselves rolling.

One small, deliberate step is all it takes to get back into motion. For me, I find that even the biggest rut can be escaped when I remind myself how every action matters. Each decision we make, breath we focus on, and adjustment toward better posture can help us build ourselves into what we seek to be.

When I say I remind myself how every action matters, I mean that I literally tell myself “every action matters” when I feel that I’m struggling to find motivation or get through work.

For me, this small phrase (“every action matters”) is connected to the larger network of positive associations designed to keep me active and focusing on the dreams I have possessed since a child. I know that I have an opportunity to create the person I seek to be, and this brief reminder helps me acknowledge where I am and how I can make things easier.

I recognize that this particular phrase will not work for everyone.

First off, you may read “every action matters” and think that it’s lame. That’s fair; it wasn’t designed to be something groundbreaking or poetic. You may also read it and draw the inverse association, where every negative action is recognized and you question why you would continue because you’ve already made bad choices.

Creating a call to action works best when it is tailored to our life experiences and objectives. A genuine desire to accomplish and pursue our dreams will make it easier to frame daily tasks, helping us knock through what we struggle to start.

Use Momentum Wisely, Look for Multipliers

Once moving, it can feel like we’re unstoppable. Sometimes, when I finish a task I really didn’t want to do, I feel like I can do anything. I start cleaning dishes that were overdue, wiping down counters, tidying up my room, and tinkering around the house until it’s suddenly the end of the day.

This is great. It is important to celebrate our achievements and take pride in a job well-done. At the same time, we should look to harness our bits of success in a way that helps us push even further. An example:

Imagine you’re in college and you’ve been delaying a term paper in a class related to your major. It wasn’t fun, but you knew you had to do it, so you buckled down and knocked it out of the park.

Instead of going straight out to party and celebrate, consider using this momentum to push you to put away the laundry you’ve been procrastinating. Laundry is your least favorite chore, but you’re in such a good mood from the paper that it flies by and we are ready to celebrate after half an hour.

In this situation, we can use our good energy from the successful term paper to push through another undesirable task roadblock. A little extra effort can help us direct positive energy from one success into making another, reducing friction in the future.

We do not need to do something awful every time we’ve taken down a tough task. This might make doing hard work even more difficult because of the negative associations created. However, if we can roll our positive energy into addressing other tasks that have accumulated over time, it will only make our next moves easier.

As it Pertains to Fitness

As you may notice after spending any amount of time on this website, I find that regular exercise and study of movement are inconceivably valuable for the development of our healthiest self. There are infinite ways to improve our physical health, and hard work toward a defined goal can pay off handsomely.

If you speak with me in real life, you’ll also notice that as soon as I’ve missed a few days of exercise, I would probably prefer to throw myself down a flight of stairs rather than complete a full stretch/workout routine.

Inertia has an enchanting role on our physical fitness. The second we stop, our minds tell our bodies of the horrors associated with movement, as though we were not just enjoying such movement moments earlier. This inertia can apply both to workouts writ large and particular movements. Sometimes, the thought of a stretching workout would send me into a tizzy, but I would happily do something else. Other times, I am cool with a stretch routine up until I reach a movement that stops me cold in my tracks.

While there is always more we can do, constantly pushing to the max to will make it more difficult to keep moving in the right direction. Overworking makes injuries more likely and can lead to developing worse associations with the things we already don’t want to do. Sometimes it’s best to shift from a hard workout to a lighter day so that we can take the victory and better prepare for the next one. At the same time, a hard workout might be exactly what we need to slay the dragon ahead.

Fitness requires a combination of consistency and humility; hard work is most effective when we recognize that we are human.

Final Thoughts

We may read this and think it’s best to get the ugly tasks out of the way first so they don’t weigh on us. Sometimes, though, we might just want something out of our mind until we are ready to approach it. Learning to do something you don’t want to do is key to keeping yourself moving toward your goals.

It is important to think about what drives you and who you seek to be. Only when you are genuine to yourself can you believe in what you’re doing, helping make unwanted tasks possible (and avoid unnecessary tasks). When you take time to think about your motivators, it will be easier to see the things at scale and prioritize tasks. From there, you can find your own call to action phrase that will help you sit up straight, think about your tasks, and get moving.

In my creation of self, I feel a swell of power when I think about how I am in charge of what I create. As I’ve mentioned, I have no delusions of creating the perfect thing (I struggle with the concept of perfection, finding that perfection would require such specific applicable circumstances that I would have to eliminate much of life’s randomness to create a specific perfect that might not even fit my goals as I approach it. Part of life’s beauty is the ability to explore, choose and challenge, and pursuit of perfection would restrict my vision and freedom to learn).

I want to be great, and I know that there is always a potential to grow. I also know that time is limited, and it is a waste to let the undesirable tasks stop me from growing. If, in pursuit of my future, I must sacrifice time to things I otherwise don’t want to do, so be it.

Let me know your thoughts.

-G