COACH YOU BLOG

Do you ever struggle to get started?
27/4/2022

You know the feeling, when you’re approaching deadline and you’ve still not made a start on that big project or even a small one? I sat for 90 minutes on Monday trying to force myself to write a blog!

 

My VA, Kat, was waiting for it all day. 

 

I had prevaricated around it all day and it was now 8pm and I had forced the “bum glue” ie made myself sit at the table, on a chair with a pen and a pad and no distractions and still nothing! It’s not that you don’t want to do it, when you get into it, you actually enjoy it.  It’s just getting started … I'd had loads of ideas in the week but just hadn't written them down.

 

Most of us think, yeah, one day I’ll … [write that book, lose that weight, create that online course … fill in the blank] but one day never comes because we talk ourselves out of it.  There’s a great Ted Talk by Mel Robbins, 5 4 3 2 1, go look it up!  It’s about the five second window that happens when we have an idea and have to take action on it, or we talk ourselves out of it!

 

What I’ve realised is that my self-limiting beliefs have hijacked this brilliant technique over the years, which really works by the way.  Often, I will yell at myself to crack on in 5 4 3 2 1, which feels like my Judge Saboteur bullying me and it can have the opposite effect! I resist or sabotage myself! 

 

What occurred to me this morning is that this count down thing happens in the boat (I row in an VIII). Sometimes, the cox will have us sit out of the paddling in pairs, maybe to take a drink, change our kit or have a rest whilst rowing a marathon, which still allows the VIII to keep moving.  Coming back into the rhythm of the crew is guided by the cox who speaks in time with the blades’ movement through the water … “Stern pair, back in three strokes… in two … next stroke… now”.  It is a rhythmic, calm and commanding delivery, leaving no room for doubt, which allows the pair to join in seamlessly without disturbing the balance of the boat.

 

Today, at my desk, I tried something different.  I had our fabulous cox, Sophie’s voice in my head counting down.  I was metaphorically looking over my shoulder at the crew, ready to join in and had the sensation of taking the stroke (taking action).

 

Calm and rhythmic, I counted myself down, opened up Word and started typing.

 

If you’d like me to make you a voice note, counting you into your next piece of work, then let me know, I’d be delighted!  I have history, I once made an alarm call for a client to help her get up and out of bed!