The Inner Battle: You know what you have to do

There is an inner battle that I have to win on a regular basis. Many people have a similar battle, but unfortunately, they don’t always win. I’m not saying that I’m great or better than anyone for being able to win the battle. I’m just bringing up the battle itself to show what we are all dealing with on a daily basis.

What is this battle that I’m talking about? The battle is the little voice in your head that says: “I don’t want to do that.” For many this voice is loud and wins most of the battles. For others, who have found a way to win, the voice is just a whisper. No matter how loud or soft the voice is, we all hear it. It is in our minds and we have to overcome it to reach any goal.

Normally I am talking about health, so that is the first area that comes to mind for me. This battle can happen in all areas of life. In fact, not only does it happen everywhere, but I believe that the inner mental battle is a big part of life in general.

The difference between success and failure often takes place before we even begin the action. Comparing it to a game, it is often won or lost before the opening whistle. How does this happen? Well, often, we decide what we can and can’t do before we ever try it.

When it comes to health, the easiest situation to understand is the battle to go workout…or not. We have all been there. Maybe it’s an early morning when the bed is just too comfortable to get out of. Maybe it’s an evening after a long day of work when all you want to do is go home to the couch. There are many places this battle takes place, but those are the ones that I see the most in my own routine and hear the most about with my clients’ routines.

The more you win this battle, the better off you are. When we try to do things that we want to do or need to do, it takes energy. It takes more than energy to win, but the energy to battle at all is often the first step we need to get going. The next step is preparation. We talk about this a lot and in the context of the battle, preparation is really just your argument. Why do you want to get up and go? What is the reason that you have to win this battle?

The best scenario is to skip the battle altogether. This concept sounds intriguing doesn’t it? Wouldn’t it be great if you could just go do what you wanted to do with no resistance? It is great and it can be done. It’s all about preparing for the battle and making sure you know what you want your outcome to be. Once you are sure of what you want and what you need to do to get it, the battle is winnable.

The more reasons we have, the easier the battle is. The more points we can make in our favor, the more likely we are to get through the battle. Getting through is often all we need because that means we are on our way. Once you are able to get past the initial argument, everything becomes easier.

Once you get to this point, you can stop worrying and start doing. We’ve dealt with this our whole lives. We’ve dealt with this in all areas of life too. When we were kids it was cleaning our rooms or eating our vegetables. In school it was studying or getting that homework assignment done. Now as adults, the list gets longer, but the same inner mental battle takes place. There are things we need to get done. We may not always want to do them, but they need to get done and we will do them eventually.

For that reason, not having the battle really is your best bet. Think about it in those terms. The consequences of not doing it are unthinkable. With the most extreme examples this is easy, so apply it to the rest of them and the battle will be won before you even get into it.

You know what you need to do. You know you are going to do it. Wouldn’t it be easier if you had a few reasons that it was easier to get it done sooner and with a better attitude? Wouldn’t that make the day go faster? What if instead of worrying and thinking about all the reasons you don’t want to be doing it, you just got it done?

If we did this, we would all be healthier, happier and more successful. It may not be easy, but it sure beats the alternative. Being healthy, happy and successful can mean many things to many people. Being unhealthy, grumpy and unsuccessful is enough for me to get things done. What do you need to motivate you?