I think maybe you’re putting off some of your goals because they are scary or intimidating. You feel like you’ll fail so you don’t want to start. Can I tell you my strategy?

I play games I can win. That doesn’t mean I only do easy things in my comfort zone, but anytime I notice my motivation dipping or my laziness kicking in, I start looking for something I know I can succeed at.

• Maybe I was going to plan a trip and buy tickets today, but that seems too overwhelming. Can I do the dishes or put away laundry instead?
• Maybe I wanted to finish the hardest part of a project, but my brain is struggling to connect the dots. Can I finish some documentation tasks I’ve been putting off instead? Those need to get done too, even if they weren’t Plan A.

The problem is we usually think we only have two options: do the hard thing or do nothing. That’s a false dichotomy. Sometimes we feel the motivation and we have the energy for the hard thing, and that’s great. If that’s a game you can win today, then by all means go for it. But on days where you think you don’t have what it takes and you want to give up, look for a game you can win.

A hidden benefit to this strategy is that the first win will change how you feel. Maybe you don’t have enough energy to go for a run but you can go for a walk. Then the walk helps your mind relax and you decide to knock out your taxes or book that doctor appointment you were putting off. Winning a game, even a small one, will make you feel better. It will give you confidence, energy, and make you feel good about yourself. The opposite is true too. If you give up on the hard task and do nothing then you’ll feel worse about yourself. This is why you should always look for games you can win because winning the first game will help you to win harder games. 

I build this into my schedule so that I always start the day with a few wins. Making my bed, going for a walk, and listening to an audiobook are super easy wins. But by the time I finish those, I’m feeling productive, healthy, motivated. After those it’s easier to do some stretches, pushups, tidy my apartment, and journal. You can put easy wins in your routine that make bigger wins happen later. 

If nothing else, I want you to remember that you always have more than two options. It’s not just “do the hard thing vs do nothing.” You can take the middle road, and more often than not that path will take you to the same place as the hard path, it’s just less scary.

Further reading: If this resonated with you, then I highly recommend Miracle Morning by Hal Elrod. The quality of my life has been so much higher just because I get a “positivity injection” in the morning regardless of how I felt the day before or if I woke up feeling negative. The book has great systems and advice for habit formation and how to get started. You still have time for some small wins today, what are you waiting for?