This is a short little article but it contains some vital information. It’s a little nugget of information that will do you a power of good.

One of the key things that tends to stop a person from getting things done and from feeling good is responding to the negative emotions generated by poor results. We want something but we can’t have it and we feel bad. We then do whatever we can to escape feeling bad and running from a problem (procrastination) or hiding from it (denial) are two of the most common responses. The problem with these responses is that they solve nothing, in fact they merely exacerbate the problem by causing delay or through failing to take responsibility for solving the problem.

It’s vital to nip these betrayers of all of our good intentions in the bud. We need to respond with a rapid attitudinal adjustment so that we quickly accept the reality of our situation and then proceed to get on with the things that create the better results and circumstances that we want.

I have created the following sayings that I have written out and that I keep on my desk, next to my bed and in my lounge (the places were bad results either hit me or else where I go to escape them). I offer them to you to help you immediately adjust to undesired results rather than reacting to them in negative and unproductive ways.

• (After a bad result) Well, that’s my reality - I accept that.

• (When I feel frustrated) I want it now, but I can’t have it yet - I accept that.

• (When I feel lazy) I want it easy, but it isn’t easy yet - I accept that.

• (When I feel doubtful) I want it guaranteed, but I can’t guarantee it yet - I accept that.

• (When I feel frustrated) The only way forward is to work on it.

• (When I want to lapse into bad behavior) That’s the way I used to be. I have better understanding and responses now.

At the heart of adjustment lies acceptance. As soon as you accept your reality you cancel out the desire that you failed to meet in the moment and this allows you to readjust and move forward rather than rail against all of the things that prevented getting the desired result.

Your ability to accept reality and adjust to it will prove to be one of the key abilities in maintaining a cheerful and productive attitude. It takes a little bit of practice but after a while it becomes a conditioned response. So why not try it for a week or two? Print or write out the above responses and keep them near to you. When you feel negative emotions beginning to strike and the impulse to bunk off or escape from your problems hits you instead of indulging the impulse try reading the phrases, accept your difficulty, wipe out the underlying desire for the moment and then see how quickly you get back into doing things. Don’t forget to let me know the result!

Plus, if you have little nuggets of wisdom that instantly set you back on track then please share them by making a comment.

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[Picture: mmendel367]