This morning getting out of bed was a grind. I was NOT motivated, NOT inspired, NOT at peace with my day or my goals. NOT at peace with my purpose in this world.
You know the feeling. Children not behaving to your expectations. Car problems – AGAIN. Money problems – AGAIN. Poor sleep and nightmares – again. And the list keeps getting longer. But you’re not motivated. You’re discouraged and depressed today. For some reason.
Just grinding.
Hey, so I decided. Today it’s OK. Just to grind. Just for today. With no expectations. I decided just to grind through this day. Just grind.
At the end of the day, I know I’m gonna be OK.
If I just grind but don’t quit.
* * * * * *
Just grinding …
… and putting one f00t in front of the other.
I decided. Just don’t let today become a GIANT ZERO.
Or, worst yet, don’t let today become a GIANT NEGATIVE day. Where I intentionally sabotage myself and lose ground on my goals.
Just because I’m feeling sorry for myself and feeling discouraged.
Just grinding. Some days this is all I can do. And it feels so disappointing. But grinding is all I can do today.
Disappointing to have some goals – big goals. And big commitments. And to just be grinding today. I’m thinking, “This is NOT how we accomplish great things.”
* * * * * *
And today I feel drained …
… just grinding.
Even before the day started – so unmotivated. Having such a huge amount of mental clutter. Like a head full of angry drunken monkeys.
Have you ever felt like this ?
Thankfully, I don’t have too many mornings like this. But when I do, I often use this unmotivated morning to sabotage my entire day, to sabotage my afternoon and my night AND to sabotage a few more days. It’s like collecting and storing all the guilt and remorse about not pursuing my goals. And validating all of my guilt and remorse. Being about as happy and positive as Mr. Grinch.
So I can use this stored guilt …
… to ruin a few more days and to keep thinking “since I am such a failure …, why even bother ?” Since my personal and professional issues are so overwhelming, why even try ? And then fulfill these negative expectations.
Giving great power to breaking all of those personal promises. About my daily commitments.
Breaking my promises …
- to write 500 words every morning,
- to finish that book this year,
- to run every morning,
- to read and mediate every morning,
- to pray every day,
- to create my to-do list the night before,
- to be super charged,
- to be ready to “rock and roll” every morning,
- to get going early (5:00 a.m.) every morning.
And my list of broken promises to myself gets longer during the day. And the drunken monkeys in my head get even crazier. And start throwing mental poop – like they do in the zoo. These drunken monkeys create a real “poop feast” in my brain. Now I’m starting to scare myself with my negative thinking.
I start to collect all of my failures during the day. And feed and nurture them.
I remind myself of all of my previous failures. Wow, this negative reinforcement is really working. My negative mind keeps rolling during these unmotivated and discouraging mornings.
Have you ever been there ?
* * * * * *
One foot in front of the other …
Well, maybe on one of these unmotivated days – like today, it would be OK just to move forward on one small goal. Any goal – just to create a feeling of accomplishment. And to create a feeling of forward moment.
Or just NOT to fall too far behind on my goals.
Or just NOT to sabotage myself.
And just NOT to let today’s lack of motivation carry into the afternoon, and tonight and then into tomorrow morning.
I need to create some forward momentum from one small goal accomplished to …
… to just NOT allow this unmotivated moment or morning to destroy tomorrow’s motivation as well. To avoid being forced into failure before I even begin.
* * * * * *
Just grinding …
So, just for today, this unmotivated day. This unmotivated morning. Just grinding will be good enough. And I will settle for good enough.
Because it is the best I have to offer today.
Just for today. Just for this morning.
When you talk to people who have achieved great goals, they will tell you. That some days – some days they are discouraged. And they just grind. They put on their blindfold and just grind one step at a time. (Watch this video – 5:37 of extreme “one step at a time.”)
They just put one foot in front of the other.
Just doing the next thing on their list. Out of habit. Unmotivated, and just grinding.
* * * * * *
Just grinding …
So – just for today – you decide. That you will be OK with just grinding. Just for today.
Just put one foot in front of the other.