Inertia of the Mind

This morning I awoke to a splitting headache.

A seven day stretch of work and lack of sleep culminated into today's pounding skull.  My body was doing its regular "Slow Down Andy" routine.

This is not an ideal situation for productivity.  Instead of jumping out of bed and getting right into the day's tasks (such as cleaning the apartment, getting dressed, figuring out what needs to be done that day) I did my best imitation of a slug.  Minus the sliminess.

I sat in bed with my computer on my lap in a daze.  Halfway between conscious and unconscious, I spent about an hour just flipping around the internet.  Truth be told, while most of it was just stories about last night's presidential election, it was a total waste of time.  Worst of all, what started as a "I'll just check one or two news stories" ended up being 10 or so different articles topped with a couple videos.

And it ended up perpetuating the slug mode even more.

SLUG MODE?  REALLY?
How in the world is it possible to get into lazy slug mode?

This has frustrated me for the longest time; the fact that I have the capability to be both highly motivated in one instance and utterly lazy in another.

I've set high goals for myself and being lazy is a real issue.  For once, there is a vested interest to get to the root of the problem.

Well, recently it has started to make sense.  I'd like to think of it as "mind inertia".

MIND INERTIA?  REALLY?
Mind inertia is just some funky word I completely pulled out of my ass.  Busted.

But it illustrates the idea that our minds are similar to a big freight train; they both need a great deal of energy to stop and get started.

Think of TV watching.  Once you've started watching television for an hour, how likely is it that you are going to be able to press the off button?

Think about that.  Your sitting on a soft couch.  Maybe you're underneath a blanket.  Your mind has become used to the different flashing images and stimulus that is video.  To contemplate doing something else, say to go exercise or read a book, is not going to seem appealing.

It's because your brain has readily adapted to what you're doing.

GETTING OUT OF MY SLUG MODE
So this morning my brain had really dug it's claws into being lazy.

I remember thinking, as I lay there on my bed, that the window for being productive was getting smaller as the time passed.  At some point, the energy to get myself to accomplish all the goals for the day (like to write this post) were going to get rationalized away.

So, just like jumping into a cold pool, I shut the lid of my computer mid-video.  It was much harder than it sounds.

Being that today is a workout day, I stumbled around the room getting workout clothes on and packing up my backpack.  I proceeded to head out the door feeling like complete shit.  But I made a promise to myself long ago that I won't miss workout days and so my legs carried me to the gym.

And the craziest thing happened.

The workout was not only great but I left the gym feeling energized and ready to tackle the day.  The headache was gone and it was a a prime lesson in following through on commitments regardless of how I feel.

I shed the slug mode for a productive suit in a matter of an hour.  But it wasn't easy.

CHANGING TRACKS
In my mind, there is only one true way to break free from laziness and wasted energy; to take action.

This morning it meant to close my computer lid.  Then to get on my workout clothes.  Then to walk to the gym.  You get the point.

This isn't groundbreaking by any means, but it is a simple solution to a difficult problem.

But I wasn't looking for a quick fix to the problem.  I wasn't looking for some motivational gimmick that was going to give me energy to do something.  I knew the only route from point A to point B was me providing the spark.

ABOUT TAKING ACTION...
And when I say take action, I mean taking action:

• regardless of emotion
• every day
• that focuses your mind's attention

Take action regardless of emotion because if you avoid doing something because you're tired, you'll never ever do it.  If it's being tired one day, it'll be muscle cramps the next.  Or a headache.  Or because you deserve a day off.  And suddenly you haven't done it in months.

Taking action every day conditions the brain to break free of whatever current activity it's "used to" on a regular basis.  As a habit, not as a gimmicky trick, every-day action builds up that mental muscle that is able to press the off button on the TV when you know you need to go work out.  Done every day it only gets easier over time.

Taking action that focuses your mind's attention means participating in an activity where your brain is forced to focus on a particular task.  Basically, this means an activity that doesn't allow for passive attention (ahem, television).  However, it very well could be washing the dishes.

Oh yes I did.

For me, that has been some of the basic patterns I follow for having more control over my mind.

Because that's really what it is; me vs. myself (see left).  Or you vs. your mind.

 There will always be two opposing forces in your head, one that wants to relax and chill, and the other that is energetic and hungry to go after it's goals.  Knowing how to access the latter is quite an amazing thing.  But it's very hard.

Kind of like getting a freight train started.