Many of us have seen the Pinterest inspiration pins telling you that getting out the door is the hardest part of a run, or any kind of workout. Which, personally, I think is 100% true: once you get going, it’s so much easier to keep going. Getting started is the hardest part about a workout.
This past week, I realized that this sentiment holds true to so many other areas of our lives as well:
Writing an email, cover-letter or paper for school.
Dating.
Running all of your errands on the weekend.
Taking a class.
Asking someone to meet up for networking.
Cleaning your home.
Going to social events.
Once you’ve built the momentum up, it’s so much easier to continue whatever new activity you’ve started – but it’s the friction at the beginning that’s the hardest. And you know what’s causing that friction?
You.
I realized last week, after leaving church, that I used to skip church ALL THE TIME. It became a rarity for me to even show up – I mean, what would you rather do on a Sunday: have a set schedule to work around, or lazily work your way through whatever YOU want to do that day? But for the past several months I’ve been there every Sunday that I possibly could I love being there. I get to see my friends, have my spirit renewed, and always leave feeling better than I did when I arrived.
The resistance, the friction, is all within yourself and your own fears. Getting over whatever that fear is, whether rational or not, is the key to making a change in your life and starting something new.
Sometimes we resist due to laziness, and a good push and forcing ourselves out the door is all we need. But sometimes that anxiety or fear is caused by something deeper, and that’s when you should take a few moments to push the irrational thoughts away. Why don’t you want to join that book club? Or Mom’s group? What are you really scared of? Once you sit down and think about what’s keeping you from doing what you want, you’ll realize that it’s all irrational.
Do you really think the group you want to join is going to judge you or not like you? Or that you won’t like anyone? Unlikely. And even if it’s true, then don’t go back!
Are you afraid the new workout class is going to be hard? Then do what you can and be proud of that.
Often we keep to our same routine, to our comfort zone, because we don’t want to push ourselves out there. And most of the time, we don’t really think about WHY it is that we aren’t pushing ourselves. Take the time to sit down and think about something you want, then why you haven’t gone for it before. More than likely, you’ll realize it’s your own irrational fear standing in your way.
Push that fear aside, and go for the life you want.
What is something you want to try but are nervous about?
Do you or have you ever felt this way?