What do you do on the days when you’re just not feeling it?
Those days. Those days when I’m tired or worn out or just basically sick of the grind…well what do I do on those days? I go anyways. I get it done. Even if I’m just going through the motions. I go through the motions. I don’t really want to work out. I work out. I really don’t want a hammer on a project. I hammer on the project. I don’t really want to get up and get out of bed, yeah, I get up and get out of bed.
Now these could be signals that you need some time off and those signals might be right. They could be correct, but don’t take today off. Not today. Wait until tomorrow. Don’t give in to the immediate gratification that is whispering in your ear. Shut that down. Do not listen to that little voice. Instead go through the motions. Lift the weights. Sprint the hill. Work on the project. Get out of bed.
Now as an overall rule I do not like procrastination. You need to get things done. But if you are going to rest, that is one thing that you should procrastinate on. That’s the one thing I want you to put off until tomorrow and if when tomorrow comes, you still feel like you need to rest or you need to take a break, then okay, take it, but the chances are you won’t. You won’t need that rest. Chances are you will realize that the desire to rest was just weakness. It was just the desire to take the path of least resistance. That downhill path, the easy path and by simply going through the motions you overcame that path and you stayed on the righteous path. The disciplined path. You stayed on the war path, which is right where you know you belong.
– Jocko Willink
Theodore Lee is the editor of Caveman Circus. He strives for self-improvement in all areas of his life, except his candy consumption, where he remains a champion gummy worm enthusiast. When not writing about mindfulness or living in integrity, you can find him hiding giant bags of sour patch kids under the bed.