We saw in the prior post that a useful antidote to struggle is a change of perspective. Instead of trying so hard to get some result, try the perspective of knowing that it will all work without needing to know how.
One way to cultivate that perspective is to catch yourself thinking about the struggle and replacing (“flipping“) those thoughts with ones that will help you to set aside struggle, worry, anger, and how. Scan these thoughts. Some may not appeal to you and will appeal to others. Which ones seem to hit the mark for you? Use one or more of these thoughts the or add your own.
- “I know that struggling feels bad and drains my energy.”
- “Worry is silly. If I can change it, then worry gets in the way of my changing it. If I can’t change it, then worry is a waste of my energy.”
- “It will get done and I don’t need to know how it will get done.”
- “I need not sit around, either. There will always be a next natural and obvious step to take. I can take that step as soon as I recognize it. I will then see what the next natural and obvious step is and do that, too. Rinse. Repeat.”
- “When my habits of thought drift back toward worry, anger, struggle, or the need to figure it out, I can use tools like The Flip, The Ladder, and Telling a New Lie to come back to this perspective.”
- “The trick is not to make myself stay in this perspective but to recognize I am out and come back as soon and as often as I can.”
- “This is fun. I like this process.”
- “This perspective feels better; it feels right.”
- “I look forward to having what I want to be true.”
In your corner,
Mike