Years ago, when my wife and I were in college, we were living about 3 1/2 hours apart. We were engaged, but we spent 3 years at different schools, and the only time we had to spend time together was on weekends. So we lived for the weekends (like many college students) and struggled to head back to our respective colleges when the time came. I hated Sundays.
The obvious reason I hated Sundays was it represented the time that I had leave Amy and head back to my school. But the other reason I woke up on Sunday with a sense of dread in my stomach was that I always wanted to put off that 3 1/2 hour drive! That drive not only represented the separation from Amy, but a long spell of total boredom. This was before podcasts, Sirius radio, or even unlimited data. For the most part, I just got in the car and drove…alone with my thoughts.
But once I finally got in the car, a funny thing happened. Though the initial act of leaving was hard, once I got in the car and started driving, it wasn’t so bad. It’s not that I didn’t miss Amy…I did. It’s just that once I committed to the act of driving, I started focusing on that. I had something to draw my attention, other than worry. And while it was still a long drive, it was almost never as bad as I envisioned it.
The same is true for most of the things we are dreading in our life.
- The sales calls, once we start them, are usually not as tough or embarrassing.
- Facing the treadmill, once you get on it, is often just fine.
- The phone call you have been putting off, is usually not as bad as we are making it out to be in our mind.
So please take a lesson from me, it won’t be as bad as you think. Just start. I spent my entire college career putting off the inevitable. I hated Sundays. It stole a whole day of the week from me. When you have something you know you need to do, stop putting it off. Lean into it and get it done. Most likely, it will not be nearly as bad as you think.
And if it is, at least it will be done.
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