Overcoming Inertia

One of the most common challenges my coaching and organizing clients mention is getting started on challenging tasks. Whether decluttering, donating items, or breaking important projects into realistic steps, it can be difficult to go from thinking to doing. It makes sense; it is much easier to dream about all the ways we will accomplish an important goal or remove a demoralizing roadblock than actually to take action.

If the executive function of getting started on tasks is a struggle, it is worth asking why you want to spend time on this task in the first place. This is especially true if the task is onerous. Does it really need to be done? Before working with clients, I drill down deeply into why they want to declutter, become more productive, or improve their ways of working with executive functioning challenges.

I’ve read countless books on organizing, decluttering, ADHD, procrastination, habit formation, hoarding, and related topics. Nevertheless, one of my favorite quotations about doing tasks comes from a book published in 1993. It is a bit eye-opening:

“If you say, ‘I really should clear off my desk,” you aren’t recognizing you’ve actually made a decision not to do this work. You’re saying, “I really should, but I’m not gonna--but I am going to feel guilty about it. And because I feel guilty about it, I must be a conscientious person.” In a way, you’re fooling yourself. . .  “Whenever you say, “I have to do that,” ask yourself, “Why do I have to do that? What makes me think I have to do it?”

You’ll probably answer, “I have to because I want to get certain results.” That changes the statement. That statement is now, “If I want A, then I have to do B”--and that statement alone can make a tremendous difference in your life. Then you need to decide whether or not you really want to do it. “

(Reprinted from “Organizing for the Creative Person”, by Lehmkul, D., & Cotter Lamping, D., 1993, p. 184, New York, NY: Three Rivers Press)

So when you seem glued to your chair, ask yourself why you really want to get to that task that you have not yet started. You may tap into a surprisingly emotional reason that can catapult you into action.

Here are some other tactics that can help overcome inertia:

The First Two Minutes:
Did you know that a necessary yet challenging task gets easier after the first two minutes of engagement? There is a particular part of our brain, the insular cortex, that lights up when we think about doing something we are loath to do. After two minutes of starting that loathsome task, that part of the brain calms down, and wit ceases to become loathsome. When you can make it past the first two minutes, congratulate yourself because you are over the hump. It will be much easier to continue working for your allotted time, whether it is five, fifteen, or thirty minutes.

Stand Up:
Whether washing the dishes, putting laundry in the dryer, or planning the steps for your office decluttering project, it can feel like moving a mountain to get out of a comfy seat. Stand up instead of forcing yourself to jump from that chair and immediately start the task. That is it for now; stand up. You are more likely to get into action if you are already in the action mode of standing. You may not actually do the task at that moment. Still, with enough repetition, you will ease yourself into starting your task.

Train Your Brain to Equate Action with Joy:
A while back, I was listening to an old Tony Robbins audiobook while exercising. I became intrigued by one of his stories. He spoke about a time in his life when he was overeating and had gained too much weight. He linked the act of eating until satiety with a pleasurable experience. As he listened to his favorite song, he simultaneously pushed himself away from the table. After repeating this process multiple times, his brain started to equate eating only until satiety with the energy and happiness he felt when his favorite song played. Eventually, resisting the urge to overeat gave him the same joy as listening to his favorite music. He no longer needed to hear the song to feel that joy, and he kicked his overeating habit.

Get Moving with Music:
Music can certainly affect our mood, especially when it is our favorite. If you can move to your favorite music, you can easily tip into action. I have used this tactic when inertia has tied me to a chair. I put on some of my favorite songs, started dancing, and felt the rush of happiness as I moved to the beat. I was then able to transition into the task more easily. It was so much easier to get started when my heart was pumping, I felt energized, and I had a smile on my face.

Five-Four-Three-Two-One:
I do not follow Mel Robbins, but I once heard her explain her Five-Four-Three-Two-One tactic. When she does not want to start a task that she knows is in her best interest, she will count down from five. By the time she gets to one, she forces herself to start the task. Counting down to five limits the time you can talk yourself out of action. Various individuals have affirmed the effectiveness of this method, and I have tested it as well. You may want to give it a shot.

Use External Accountability:
There are times when we do not have enough internal motivation to start working towards a goal. Why not enlist outside help? Tell a friend that you will start a task at a particular time today. Better yet, ask them to check in with you by a set time. Bonus points if this is the type of friend who will not easily let you off the hook.

 Make Your Social Media Account Work for You:
If you are already spending time on social media, why not make the platforms work for you? Announce that you will work on the avoided task by a particular date and make a particular amount of progress by a second date. Promise to donate a certain amount of money to a cause that you abhor if you do not stick to these dates. Ask those on your social media feed to hold you to that promise. Suddenly, inaction seems too costly, and action seems easier. Those on your social media account who also loathe that group will probably hold your feet to the fire. An external deadline with real, painful consequences can ignite action quickly.

Get Professional Support:
If you still feel like you are slaying the inertia monster after repeatedly trying these tactics, it is time to connect with an ADHD Coach and Certified Professional Organizer like myself. I am extensively trained not only in decluttering but also in working with various executive challenges that impede progress toward longed-for goals. Getting into action is one of those executive challenges. You are definitely not alone in your challenge to start, and you certainly do not have to white-knuckle it on your own!