Making hard tasks easier
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I see it all the time, including in my own life: making things harder than they are. Whether it is going for a run or writing an article, sometimes there seems to be so much resistance.
The action itself is often not difficult. Going for a run starts with putting on your running shoes. Anyone can do that.
So why do we sometimes make things so hard for ourselves? More importantly, what can you do about it? Doing things without resistance, and what makes something difficult: that is what we are going to talk about today.
An unclear goal
Think of your goal as a GPS. If your goal is unclear, you will never reach your destination. A goal needs to be clear, and you need to be able to see progress. Imagine playing darts in a dark room, with the light only coming on at the end of the evening so you can see what you hit. You would never learn from what went right or wrong.
Your goal needs to be so clear that you can assess every step: does this help me reach it or not?
Resistance to starting
Resistance comes in all shapes and sizes. It makes it harder to start something or keep going.
Broadly speaking, there are two types: internal and external.
Internal resistance often shows up as an emotion or a thought. “I don’t feel like doing this” is a familiar one.
External resistance is something physical that holds you back. Searching for your keys or your running shoes, for example.
How to deal with “internal” resistance
You solve resistance with smooth processes. Resistance mainly comes from making things too big for yourself. When you pick up a glass of water, you do not think about the fact that you are picking it up and taking a sip. That ease is what you are aiming for in everything: doing something without judgment or resistance.
Really, all internal resistance is simply an opinion about the task. If you have no opinion, there is no resistance. That does not mean something is good or bad. Something either contributes to your goal or it does not.
If you find it hard to understand what an opinion about a task means, here are a few examples.
You are already looking at the top of the mountain instead of the step in front of you. The trick is to come back to the here and now.
There are two ways to deal with internal resistance, and you can use both at once:
1. Be present in what you are doing
2. Put things in perspective or reason them through
1. Focus on what you are doing
Something that works well for me is shifting my attention to the very next small step. Think of the smallest possible next step. Almost without noticing, you start “doing” the task. Let go of all the “what ifs” for a moment and just try making a start. This is an extremely powerful mindset.
Opening your word processor, or finding and putting on your running shirt, are examples of small steps like this. In principle, anyone can do them. Once you have taken that step, repeat the process. What if you only manage that small step? Fine. That was today’s practice; you will get a little further in time.
You distract yourself from why you find it difficult. Because the steps are so small, your brain KNOWS you can do them, and each one feels like a little success.
2. Put things in perspective or reason them through
“What matters is that you at least make a start.” “You can always worry about things like quality later.”
You can use thoughts like these to put a difficult task in perspective. You are not lying to yourself, because the task itself is easy.
Anyone can take one step. Anyone can type one word. It is your opinion about the task that makes it easy.
So it does not matter how you put it in perspective: think about it long enough and you always reach the same conclusion!
Look for reasons why you can do something instead of why you cannot. Look for reasons why things matter instead of why they do not. You will see that solutions quickly follow.
How to deal with physical resistance
There is nothing more annoying than having to look for your keys when you want to go somewhere. The same goes for gathering files when you want to start, or having to open six drawers first.
The best way to tackle physical resistance is to make sure everything is accessible and ready. Make things that are less good for you, or less productive, harder to do. There is nothing wrong with enjoying yourself now and then, but it is fine for that to take a little extra effort. That way it does not become the default option.
For example, every evening before I go to sleep, I open the document I want to work on on my computer. That lets me start straight away the next morning.
Not enough critical mass
If it takes too long to see results, it can be hugely demotivating. There is a certain critical mass of effort you need to reach before results appear.
I am a software developer, and there is a useful comparison here. If it takes three weeks to bring a new piece of functionality into production, everything takes far too long.
Ideally, you want to deliver something to the customer every day, because then you can test whether you are working on the right thing!
Taking a lighter approach to work
One important reason your work may feel difficult is that you take what you do too seriously.
Of course, it can feel that way when you are in the middle of something. But if you really stop to think about it, it is rarely a matter of life or death.
It is fine to make mistakes, and you can have a little sense of humor about them too :)
How to practice today
Do not take on too much at once. Choose one thing from this blog post and try exploring it further. For example, you could keep working on how you arrange your surroundings.
Whenever something holds you back, ask yourself: “What can I do to make this easier next time?”