When I wake up in the morning I literally do not want to do anything. If I could sit on my couch all day and do nothing that would be my ideal day.
Well, not “nothing,” but maybe watch Netflix, read and eat cookies would be better than sitting there and I’d be much more content. But, the thing is that I can’t do nothing, because I have so many things to do!
I have to feed myself and my kids. Being a person is so hard and we all have to be people all the time. Even when we are sleeping, we’re people. So, when I wake up I have a lot to do; so much that I am feeling overwhelmed about the mental list of things that need to get done. I don’t make lists, because I am overwhelmed by the idea of making them. Isn’t that ridiculous? No matter how ridiculous that might be, I don’t want to make lists and I’m not sorry about it either. I’m anxious and that’s what my meds are supposed to helping with anyway.
I want to be able to get the stuff in my head done, but I can’t remember all of it because I’m freaking out internally that there’s no possible way I’ll get it all done. But if I don’t know what it is, how can I get it done? I know this all doesn’t make any sense, but these are the thoughts that are going through my mind. I’m trying to wrap my head around the fact that I am sitting there doing nothing and I’m supposed to be doing something but it’s just too much!
I remember having this feeling as a teenager and telling my mom about it. I explained that I knew that I had to do a lot of things, but there were so many of them that it seemed impossible to get them all done. My mom said something simple, but it was so wise: “just start.”
She followed that up with: “all you have to do is start.” What she meant was that starting anything is the hardest part. Getting yourself to the point where you get up off the couch and sit in front of the computer to do something is an extremely hard process. However, if you can take that first step and get yourself to the point where you start something, you can continue it and eventually you’ll have completed something that you’ve been obsessing over for the entire morning.
It’s incredibly difficult to get yourself to the emotional place where you’re ready to leap and start, but it’s about talking your brain out of that overwhelmed state and breaking the steps down into small bites. First step, get off the couch, second step walk to the kitchen, third step turn the water on, fourth step pick up dish soap, sixth step squeeze dish soap onto a sponge, seventh step start cleaning a bowl.
It’s like the movie from the 90’s What About Bob? Bill Murray plays a patient of Richard Dreyfus (a therapist) and Murray repeats the phrase “baby steps,” to remind himself that he needs to break his behavior down into small steps in order to do pretty much anything, for example leaving the house.
In order to be less overwhelmed, prime your brain to the point where you encourage yourself to start a task. Once you are able to start, you will start to get into groove of washing the dishes, writing an article, working on a boring Excel Spreadsheet, or whatever it is you need to do, all you need to do is start!
—
The Good Men Project is different from most media companies. We are a “participatory media company”—which means we don’t just have content you read and share and comment on but it means we have multiple ways you can actively be a part of the conversation. As you become a deeper part of the conversation—The Conversation No One Else is Having—you will learn all of the ways we support our Writers’ Community—community FB groups, weekly conference calls, classes in writing, editing platform building and How to Create Social Change.
◊♦◊
Here are more ways to become a part of The Good Men Project community:
Request to join our private Facebook Group for Writers—it’s like our virtual newsroom where you connect with editors and other writers about issues and ideas.
Click here to become a Premium Member of The Good Men Project Community. Have access to these benefits:
- Get access to an exclusive “Members Only” Group on Facebook
- Join our Social Interest Groups—weekly calls about topics of interest in today’s world
- View the website with no ads
- Get free access to classes, workshops, and exclusive events
- Be invited to an exclusive weekly “Call with the Publisher” with other Premium Members
- Commenting badge.
Are you stuck on what to write? Sign up for our Writing Prompts emails, you’ll get ideas directly from our editors every Monday and Thursday. If you already have a final draft, then click below to send your post through our submission system.
If you are already working with an editor at GMP, please be sure to name that person. If you are not currently working with a GMP editor, one will be assigned to you.
◊♦◊
Are you a first-time contributor to The Good Men Project? Submit here:
◊♦◊
Have you contributed before and have a Submittable account? Use our Quick Submit link here:
◊♦◊
Do you have previously published work that you would like to syndicate on The Good Men Project? Click here:
Join our exclusive weekly “Call with the Publisher” — where community members are encouraged to discuss the issues of the week, get story ideas, meet other members and get known for their ideas? To get the call-in information, either join as a member or wait until you get a post published with us. Here are some examples of what we talk about on the calls.
Want to learn practical skills about how to be a better Writer, Editor or Platform Builder? Want to be a Rising Star in Media? Want to learn how to Create Social Change? We have classes in all of those areas.
While you’re at it, get connected with our social media:
- To join our Facebook Page, go here.
- To sign up for our email newsletter, go here.
- To follow The Good Men Project on Twitter, go here.
◊♦◊
However, you engage with The Good Men Project—you can help lead this conversation about the changing roles of men in the 21st century. Join us!
◊♦◊
We have pioneered the largest worldwide conversation about what it means to be a good man in the 21st century. Your support of our work is inspiring and invaluable.
The Good Men Project is an Amazon.com affiliate. If you shop via THIS LINK, we will get a small commission and you will be supporting our Mission while still getting the quality products you would have purchased, anyway! Thank you for your continued support!
—
Previously Published on Huffington Post
—