Speaker 1: Welcome to Before Breakfast, a production of I Heart Radio.
Speaker 1: Good Morning. This is Laura. Welcome to the Before Breakfast podcast.
Speaker 1: Today's tip is for when you are feeling stuck, Just
Speaker 1: get going and see what happens. Maybe not much will happen,
Speaker 1: but you might be in a slightly better spot than
Speaker 1: you are in before. Today's tip comes from a guest
Speaker 1: essay in The New York Times by author and executive
Speaker 1: coach Brad Stillberg. In the article, Stillberg describes the psychological
Speaker 1: concept of behavioral activation. This is the practice of creating
Speaker 1: motivation through doing something instead of relying on motivation to
Speaker 1: get started. Sometimes we are motivated and eager to dive
Speaker 1: into a new project. Other times, even if we rest
Speaker 1: and give ourselves grace and patience, the momentum just doesn't come.
Speaker 1: That's when Stolberg tries for behavioral activation. He uses the
Speaker 1: pocket phrase just get going and see what happens. I
Speaker 1: love this. It is all about action and openness. Just
Speaker 1: get going and see what happens. He isn't promising that
Speaker 1: once you get going it will get easier, or that
Speaker 1: you'll feel good about what you're doing, or even that
Speaker 1: you will see results. Instead, you can just do a
Speaker 1: little something and be curious about what will happen. No judgment,
Speaker 1: no expectation, but an openness to seeing if anything changes.
Speaker 1: I think there are good reasons for all of us
Speaker 1: to adopt this mindset. After two years of a pandemic
Speaker 1: with its resulting stresses and strains, not to mention natural
Speaker 1: disasters and other sources of turmoil at home and abroad,
Speaker 1: we are tired. So many people are simply worn out,
Speaker 1: and motivation is hard to come by. When you're feeling
Speaker 1: stuck and having trouble getting started, it can often help
Speaker 1: to just do something. Don't wait until you're motivated. Instead,
Speaker 1: just start do the easiest part, do something in the middle.
Speaker 1: Write one sentence, put one number on your spreadsheet, look
Speaker 1: up one statistic you know you will need. Maybe the
Speaker 1: motivation will come. Hopefully the motivation will come. As Stolberg says,
Speaker 1: just get going and see what happens. But even if
Speaker 1: not much happens, well you are one sentence closer than
Speaker 1: you were a few minutes ago. This approach can work
Speaker 1: for professional projects, home projects, self improvement efforts, and so
Speaker 1: much else. Having trouble getting motivated to start looking for
Speaker 1: a new employee, because everyone keeps saying it's a terrible
Speaker 1: time to hire. Just make a list of steps you
Speaker 1: might take to find someone wonderful. Maybe you will become
Speaker 1: optimistic about one of the strategies you identify. You'll be
Speaker 1: energized to get started, or you won't be, but at
Speaker 1: least you'll have an item for tomorrow's to do list.
Speaker 1: Overwhelmed at the thought of packing up your apartment for
Speaker 1: an upcoming move, aim to pack one box and fill
Speaker 1: one bag of things to donate this weekend. By the
Speaker 1: time you've done that, maybe you'll have a better idea
Speaker 1: of a timeline for getting everything out the door, or
Speaker 1: you will still be tired, but you are one box
Speaker 1: closer to done. By just doing something, you may overcome
Speaker 1: your inertia and generate some energy or excitement for a
Speaker 1: project you've been struggling to start. Don't assume that motivation
Speaker 1: has to proceed the first step. Instead, taking that first
Speaker 1: step maybe exactly what you need to generate some momentum,
Speaker 1: and if not, well, at least you're closer than you were.
Speaker 1: So get going and get curious to see what happens next.
Speaker 1: In the meantime, this is Laura. Thanks for listening and
Speaker 1: here's to making the most of our time. Hey, everybody,
Speaker 1: I'd love to hear from you. You can send me
Speaker 1: your tips, your questions, or anything else. Just connect with
Speaker 1: me on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram at Before Breakfast Pod.
Speaker 1: That's b E the number four, then breakfast p o D.
Speaker 1: You can also shoot me an email at Before Breakfast
Speaker 1: podcast at iHeartMedia dot com that Before Breakfast is spelled
Speaker 1: out with all the letters. Thanks so much, I look
Speaker 1: forward to staying in touch. Before Breakfast is a production
Speaker 1: of I heart Radio. For more podcasts from I heart Radio,
Speaker 1: visit the i heart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever
Speaker 1: you listen to your favorite shows. Ye