De-Paralyze Yourself By Taking That First Step

Ever feel that everything is just one big negative?   It’s one hardship after another?  No option looks good?  You feel paralyzed to make a move because it is all so anxiety-provoking?  The lens you’re looking through makes everything seem grim and bleak.

If you were to stand at the bottom of a mountain and look up, you’d of course say, “I can’t climb that.”  And then every possible catastrophe would come to mind: “I’ll fall, I’ll die, the rocks will come crashing down, I’ll get sick during the climb, I’ll lose my balance and fall over the edge, I’ll run into a snake or a bear.”

Focusing on getting to the top seems daunting and impossible.   You’ve put every possible blockade in place.   You can’t possibly start out on this journey of catastrophe.  You’re paralyzed.

Such is life and it’s oftentimes seemingly impossible tasks that lie ahead.   We become immobilized by all that’s required to get to the end result.   We remain at the bottom of the mountain crouching down in fear and anxiety waiting for the avalanche to come tumbling down.

Perhaps it’s better not to focus on the size of the mountain; it’s too overwhelming and scary.  It’s better to limit our view to what’s right in front of us – our own feet-  and start stepping.

When we begin to take a step, we find ourselves moving forward and upward.  The boulders that seemed impassable are now big rocks that can be gotten through by climbing this way and that.

How do we de-paralyze ourselves and begin to do what we need to do in order to get where we want to go?

 

• Break down the situation into small tasks.  Tackle the first one without looking out into the whole big picture.  Remember that big mountain is too daunting.  Start with stepping over the first rock and get your feet planted on solid ground once again.  Success.  Now go onto the next task and step again.  That’s two tasks accomplished and you’re still standing.  Success begets success.  Pat yourself on the back.

You’re feeling a bit lighter?  When we start taking action towards tackling that difficult situation, the tension starts to give a little. The doing releases some of that pent-up horrific anxiety.

• Block off those catastrophizing thoughts that prevent you from doing.  They are those ugly critters that are out to sabotage you and your plans, goals and dreams.

Easier said than done.  But you can start some self-talk dialogue where your healthier voice begins to hammer them down back into their hole.

• If you can’t shut it off, get professional help.  A good cognitive therapist can help quiet down the muse so you can gain new perspectives and reframe situations.  Cognitive restructuring and shifting can occur.
• Put the action before the feeling.  Don’t wait to feel better or to think better before you start taking action.  Just start!  Start doing and the good feelings will start coming. Welcome them in and give yourself a thumbs up for taking even that baby step.  The Kaizen way is the name of the game – small steps towards improvement.

Thanks for stopping by.  What’s the first step you’re going to take towards your plan of action?