Some days it is just difficult to get yourself in gear. Whenever I have one of those moments or days, I resort to an old counting strategy I have used for many years. Over thirty years ago I experienced a state of depression which made it extremely difficult for me to get out of bed. While physically I was quite capable of getting up, my mental and emotional state had me paralyzed. Many people experience similar mental and emotional paralysis when trying to make even the slightest changes in their lives.
The counting strategy I used only worked because I promised myself that whatever I said aloud that I would do, I made sure that I kept my word to myself. Initially, as I struggled to get out of bed, I tried to push myself, by saying, “I am going to get up on the count of three.” So, I counted, “one,” “two,” “three.” When I got to three, nothing happened, so this proved to be ineffective. Instead of giving up on my plan I decided to reduce my goal to something achievable. Instead of saying that I would get up on the count of three, I said that I would put my feet on the floor on the count of three. When that did not work, I said that I would put one foot out from under the cover on the count of three. When that did not work, I said that I would wiggle my toes and rotate my ankles on the count of three. Bingo, I was successful! I then progressed to putting my feet out from under the covers, placing my feet on the floor, standing up on the count of three, and so forth and so on. Eventually, I would simply say, “On One” and I would move.
What strategy can you use today that will propel you to success? If you discipline yourself and use it, no struggle will hinder you from achieving success.