Resistance to doing things

Your thighs burn, writing docs is boring, and there are just so many f*cking leaves everywhere.

Whether you're holding warrior pose, preparing for a work meeting, or raking leaves outside, odds are the thought to just stop doing the thing has crossed your mind. Your brain is telling you this sucks and damn wouldn't it be so much nicer to text your friends or scroll on Instagram or just straighten your legs.

Here's a fun thing to try next time you find yourself thinking "this sucks, let me go do something easier."

Notice the resistance. Be a third-party observer to it. Watch the resistance in your mind, give it space to exist, allow it into your home. Offer it a cup of tea. Notice what it does in your body. Does it cause your vision to narrow, your chest to tighten, your jaw to tense? Cool. Just observe that. Don't do anything about it.

Let the resistance exist. Let it hang out, don't push it away. Welcome it with open arms. Just don't act on it.

You'll notice that the resistance diminishes in its fervor. And all the while you've been observing the resistance, you've extended the time that you've done the thing that you wanted to stop doing.

Then of course the resistance will resurface because it's not like the activity became magically fun.

Again, welcome it, observe it, let it hang out in your mental home.

You do this enough and you'll learn the skill of greater discipline. It will become less and less painful each time to handle internal resistance. Your brain will normalize the sensation as a part of living instead of a thing that must be immediately expelled.