'I'll do that today but later on.'
Sound familiar? ''I'll do such and such but not right now. Maybe after a cuppa?
I'll not do that today it's my rest day. I'll wait till later in the week.
Oh I must get that done but I'm too busy atm.
Can't do that right now cos I'm waiting for call/visitor etc.'
Do you know what I reckon? I have either used or heard every excuse in the book and probably a few that aren't. I know how easily I can be dissuaded if my heart isn't really into something I have to do. In fact if the word 'have' was in a sentence I would almost certainly find a way of getting out of it. I don't know if it was a way of taking control and not feeling I have to do so much or if it was downright laziness.
In the past there were times when I would rather have been turned off completely than attempt to do anything. The thought of getting up, showered and dressed made me grumpy and totally fed up. I would have to drag myself up and at least get out on the balcony of where I was living at the time. Fresh air is a good motivator! I would sit on the step out to the balcony and ignoring any signs of human life, stare up at the sky. I'd see planes flying over and Red Kites gliding gracefully above. Even if I still didn't want to do anything this usually gave me enough of a lift to get some household chores done with the reward of a fav tv show or something just for me.I used to resent 'having' to do stuff. It either made me thoroughly pissed off or anxious and I would start to worry about getting it done. What if I didn't do it? What if I couldn't do it? What if I didn't do it well enough? bla bla.
So how do I get myself to do things now?
I have learned is that if I make a list of things to get done there will definitely be things I will want to do on it as well as those things I'm not so keen on. This helps me to become enthusiastic about getting to tick things off my list. I start with something I don't really want to do and know that the reward will be a tick on the list and then something I want to do. Once I have completed a task I try to remember to be thankful that i have done it.
I know that sounds weird but it helps me to appreciate what I have achieved. After all if you are reading this you probably know what it's like to find the most basic of things hard or to feel any genuine appreciation for anything you do do.
My lists also help me to feel in control and I never let them get too long. If they seem to grow longer and longer all this does is make any effort feel futile and unproductive. So definitely limit your lists to the priorities and not things that really can wait!
Getting writing!
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