You know what bothers me? When I’m working on a Monday, look back, and realize I didn’t get out and do something I truly enjoy over the weekend.
I’m talking about things like going surfing, hanging out with friends, finding a new trail to hike, or taking my dog on a run. The type of activities that take effort to go do.
You see, even though I know I will have fun when I surf, be happy once I get back, and have zero regrets about going, it’s not always easy to get myself to go.
And I have a range of excuses to tell myself why I shouldn’t:
- I’m tired. It’d probably be better to rest today (translation: it’d be so much easier to just turn on the TV).
- I really need to work on my blog and clean up today (I could have easily done those AND surfed also).
- Maybe I’ll go a little later (nope, that didn’t happen).
The worst part is that these are activities I want to do, I know I will enjoy, and I will be happy I did them. But taking that initial step to actually go them can be so difficult.
This can get bad if saying no to things you love doing becomes a habit. I’ve been there and it’s definitely a downward spiral.
Fortunately, there are a few things you can do to make it much easier for you take advantage of these fun opportunities.
- Understand that getting out and doing things you love is important to you. It may seem obvious, but you need to keep reminding yourself that hanging out with your friends, going to yoga, or whatever it is you enjoy, is a top priority. If you can convince yourself of this, you are more likely to make time for them. Get yourself in the mindset that you are going to spend X amount of time each week on doing things you love.
- Schedule the activities in advance. The San Francisco 49ers played their first game of the season on Sunday and I was going to watch it no matter what. Since it’s really easy to stay home and watch the game from my couch, on Thursday I texted my buddy and asked, “Wanna go somewhere and watch the 49ers on Sunday?” By making my plans in advance, I ensured I would get out and hang out with my friend.
- Block out “me” time. Maybe you don’t know what you’re going to do, but you can still block out the time to do it. If you use a calendar, you can even block out the time there. If someone asks you if you want to do something at that time, you tell them you’re busy (unless they can be part of the thing you enjoy). Then, as the blocked time approaches, you’re prepared to drop what you were doing and get ready to go do something you love.
We know that we should be doing things that we enjoy, but we get in our own way. By being cognizant of this, we can take a few steps to make it that much easier for ourselves, which might be the difference between getting out there and enjoying life and staying home wishing we got out.
Take control of your life. You’ll be happy you did.