Brain Power

"The mind gives up long before the body ever will"

I have found this quote to be very true on many occasions. It is most obvious when I am out on a run. While I'm running, I feel my body slowing down, telling me to stop or to take it easy. Yet, I know that I have run harder in the past so it doesn't make sense that I should be tired already. This is simply my own mind attempting to convince me that something is impossible even though my body has already shown me that it is possible.

I think we make our greatest improvements when we push past this mental blockade and force ourselves to keep going. I think many of us suffer from this problem and it can be a difficult one to overcome continuously. Do your best to overcome this thinking; push past the barriers that you know can be broken. If you find that you are telling yourself that you can't get something done, do yourself a favor and do it anyways.

What other situations do you all find are the most difficult to overcome mentally?

Productivity

Often time we find ourselves feeling like we do not have enough time to accomplish everything in our lives. Sometimes all the little things begin to weigh down on us and we don't see a way out. What I find to be most helpful when I have a lot of things on my plate is to make a list. Make a list of EVERYTHING you need to do...from laundry, to work, to getting the car repaired. Once you have made the list, begin with the easiest tasks first. This will do two things for you.

One: It will be easier to start getting things done because the easy tasks don't feel daunting and you are more willing to start working on those.
Two: It will get you over the mental block of having "too much" to do. When you see that your list is dwindling, the bigger tasks don't see so bad because there are not as many.

Really, being productive is all about tricking yourself into getting started. Once you have started, it is easier to keep going. And I love this quote. It really seems to fit in with this topic, so I will end it with this: "Lack of direction, not lack of time, is the problem. We all have twenty-four hour days." -Zig Ziglar

Let your list be your direction and get started!