-The Hard things

There are so many things we need to do every day, and sometimes it can feel overwhelming. It is easy to procrastinate, avoid the task, or convince ourselves we will deal with it later. But doing the hard things, especially when we do not feel like doing it, can also be one of the most freeing feelings.

I struggle with this constantly. I hate getting up in the morning. To be at work when I believe I should be there, I have to wake up somewhere between 4:00 and 5:00 a.m. That is hard for me. To be honest, for a while, it even caused relationship issues with my wife. I was a serial snoozer. I would hit the alarm again and again, knowing I needed to get up, but not actually doing it. Eventually, I had to put methods in place to help me accomplish the task.

The biggest change was simple: I moved my phone out of reach. If I have to physically get out of bed to turn the alarm off, the chances are much higher that I will stay up. It sounds almost too simple, but it works. For years, I thought I just could not do anything about my snoozing problem. Then I started preparing to fight it. Now, I rarely have an issue. One small adjustment changed the whole situation.

Going back to my last post about the nighttime battle, I think this might be part of the answer there too. Last night, when it was time to start shutting down the house, I put my phone on the charger and started my duties. I still got sidetracked. I stopped to pet the dogs. I moved a few things around on the shelves in my RC area. But those interruptions were short, and I got back on track much faster.

The difference was preparation. Because I had already removed the biggest distraction, staying on task was not nearly as hard. These little computers in our pockets are incredible machines, but they can also become our downfall if we let them. That is probably a topic for another time. The main thing I am learning is this: preparing for the hard things makes them less hard.

Maybe more things in life are not as impossible as we make them out to be. Maybe we do not always need more motivation, more discipline, or some huge life overhaul. Maybe sometimes we just need to plan a little differently. Move the alarm. Put the phone away. Set the tools out. Clear the path before it is time to walk it. The hard thing may still be hard, but it does not have to be as hard as we make it.