It never ceases to amaze me how my own brain conspires to defeat me! This week I have had all of the following thoughts about one activity or other. None of them are helpful. All of them lead to procastination or quitting or not even starting. Yet, still I have them!
- It's not worth it. Lots of effort, limted reward. Sometimes true but usually it just means I am underestimating the reward to justify not taking the risk or doing the work.
- I'm not good enough. Well, you never are before you do something. You have to do it to get better.
- I'm too busy to do it. Funny how I am always busy with pointless activity.
- I'm too tired to do it. I said this at 9am in the morning!
- It's not my kind of thing. How do I know before I've tried?
- It won't work. Ah, the certainty of the lazy! If I can convince myself it won't work, then there is no point in trying!
- Others do this much better than me. Of course, they do. They actually do it!
- I've got no new ideas. Almost all ideas come once you start doing something, not before you do it. Start working on it and they will come.
I've had all these stupid self-defeating thoughts this week. None of them is helpful. Each time one of these thoughts appears, fight it off. No good can come of it.
Your small improvement for today is to write down the self-defeating thoughts you have and stop having them.