This simple two-step technique will help you get going when you’ve been holding back from starting something

Here’s something that’s worked for me when I notice myself holding back from jumping into a project (whether it’s work related or something I need to do around the house). This two-step technique might be just what you need to get going:

Step One: Picture yourself doing the final action, completing the project, and notice feel how good it feels to be on the other side of it, completing it. That’s right, imagine it being DONE! Really take a moment to close your eyes and visualize what it will look like and how you will feel. Imagine seeing the project done. Picture yourself looking in a mirror, feeling proud of your accomplishment!

Two: Break the project down into small steps and ask yourself “What is the next smallest step I can take?” If you think you’ve broken it down into small steps but they still feel daunting, invite yourself to imagine how you can break the next step into even smaller steps! Maybe the next smallest step is to setting a timer and clean for just 5 minutes. Or opening up your email and writing the first line in your draft to a colleague or client. Breaking down tasks into very small steps isn’t a new concept, but often when we feel overwhelmed, we get distracted and frozen by how daunting the big picture feels. So often, we get stuck or overwhelmed by thinking of everything that’s involved in a project or by imagining the hardest moment (often picturing it in our mind to be even harder than it ends up being).

By breaking our project down into the-next-smallest-step (keep it teeny-tiny!) and by focusing on how good it will feel to have finished it, we can allow ourselves to move forward and let that weight start to lift.

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I’d love to hear your feedback — feel free to join me in the free Facebook group “Reframe Your Brain” at fb.com/groups/reframeyourbrain.

— Keridwyn Deller, Hypnotherapist. Learn more about me at keridwyn.com

Photo by davide ragusa on Unsplash