Imagining and Pretending Yourself into Action

Some days I feel lazy. I don't even want to get out of bed.

But then I have to work. I have to earn a living. And I have to take care of three other individuals.

I need to do things. Walk here, go there, take this, do that. We all do.

During my school days I learned about inertia. It's why things don't move and they need a kick in the butt to get them moving. And once they start moving they keep moving : It's also inertia. But in reality, there's also friction, and energy loss. Resistance. This causes loss of speed.

We need to get things done. But it's easier to make believe and pretend than to take action. If you don't believe me, just go to a coffee shop with your friends and start talking about how we could improve the world. You'll get lots of ideas. And then you should ask, "Who's interested in putting what we discussed into action?" Don't be surprised if they all keep quiet.

Pretend that you are number two. Work hard. Get to number one. 

Here are some ways to make yourself take action: Through pretending and imagining.

Pretending.

When I feel too lazy to walk, I pretend that I'm a boy again. I hear the voice of my troop leader, telling us to start marching. And so I relive my childhood and I start marching. And after a few minutes I've already walked the walk that I needed to walk.

When I feel too tired to take the groceries from the car to the apartment, I pretend that I'm in my early twenties again. The time when I loved going to the gym. I pretend that I'm doing an exercise, lifting weights. It makes lifting the groceries that much more fun. I hear my personal trainer Jason Collar (he was at Fitness First) telling me that form is more important than weight.

It's easier to pretend when you've had fun experiences that are similar to what you need to do. But it's not easy to make the connection.

So I think that you need to learn how to pretend.

When you think the task at hand is too big, you need to break it down into more manageable chunks.

Each chunk is potentially something you can turn into a game. When you turn it into a game, you forget that it's work. And work is drudgery. Think of it in terms of something that you enjoy, and pretend that you're doing that. And you'll enjoy it.

The secret of getting ahead is getting started.

Imagining.

When you feel lost, you can close your eyes and do it in your mind. Go through every step. Again. Again. Again. And then you're ready to do it.

Sometimes things overwhelm us when we see how big they are. You might feel scared that you'll screw up. And maybe you're right, because you've never done something as big as that before.

But you need to break it down into small parts. And that you imagine each step in your mind. How does step one link to step two? And step two link to step three? There is a flow. It's a series of steps. It's a journey. Episode after episode. A trilogy. Or more. 

Sometimes you'll feel overwhelmed when you remember that what you're doing is dead serious shit. It's easier to imagine that someone else is doing the thing, and you're merely advising him. Imagine that that guy is stressed out and he wants your advice. And so you give him the advice that you think he could use. And then imagine that he asks you, could you help me take the first step that you've outlined?

And then you do it.

Thanks for reading.

Here are some other pieces from me.

1. Donate your body to science to save funeral costs.
2. So what if you go bankrupt?
3. We cannot be happy 24/7.
4. How to make money from Open Source.
5. How to invent a musical group.
6. Fourteen reported cases which mention Rukun Negara.
7. Non-Muslims are not kafir harbi.