Doing important things we're reluctant to do

There are things that are very important in, and for my life, that dominate my “to-do list” and still feel sometimes close to impossible, not just to complete, but to initiate, generating a “freeze” close to aversion, so why is this? We all have likes and dislikes and we generally tend to gravitate towards the kind of activity that pleases us most, often regardless of the amount of work, or the extent of the difficulty it represents, but when we dislike doing something, we just do nothing about it. 

True, the complexity of a given task can be a huge “turn-off”. According to researchers, however, the biggest challenge to moving forward on anything is the transition to working on it. Again, it almost always represents a shift from doing something easy and comfortable like sending simple messages, picking and choosing tasks randomly off a to-do list, getting distracted by a new task that comes out of the blue, or wasting time on non-essential tasks that we want out of the way. 

This, instead of doing something uncomfortable or sometimes repulsive, like starting a discussion, beginning a proposal, or initiating something from scratch. This transition is precisely the moment when we should all keep in mind what I call the “salami technique” in which we break the overwhelming job into smaller, more manageable pieces; right, one manageable “slice” at a time! 

This often is the seed that can help us initiate the process, build momentum and gain confidence as our project begins taking shape. Another way to break that formidable resistance is to focus on what will be gained when the action is completed and how it will bring the kind of peace of mind we all strive for. This, at least, is the way I look at that challenge. 

Well, I should say “will look at it”, from now on...