This popped up for me today, and I realized is very close to how I manage to trick myself to get things done even when it feels like my body’s parking brake is on.
To me it feels like just “building momentum” in any way helps. If I’m in working mode, it’s easier to pick up a cleaning task than if I’m in sofa mode. Sometimes just cleaning some lint from the table is enough to get the ball rolling.
Does anyone else have this, or similar techniques?
I do a similar thing to help myself get started, and the secret is it doesn’t have to be chores. Step one can be literally anything that’s easy to do that you’re not currently doing. For instance, my step one is often something as simple as talking to somebody. Then step 2 is something closer to what you need to do. Like if I’m gonna need to do something that requires more energy, my step 2 could be taking a walk, or if I can’t get myself to do that, pacing around a bit.
You just work up until doing the task you need to do becomes the natural conclusion. If my task was cleaning the bathroom, the next step after walking might be brushing my teeth, then I say “Well I’m already up and doing stuff, and I’m already in the bathroom. Might as well clean it.”
And it’s not always gonna work, which I think is okay, as long as it works often enough that my space remains livable.