Hello beautiful people!
Let’s JFDI!
But today’s list is a different one because it removes all resistance from our tasks, quite purposefully. Here, watch.
Almost every time we hesitate on something we know we need to move forward, it’s not due to our gut trying to keep us out of danger, it’s not our spidey sense tingling, it’s not lizard brain protecting us; it’s that good ol’ Steven Pressfield-style resistance. And the only way through it is to Just Fucking Do It.
I’m not talking about pushing through when you’re not aligned (Day 31). You know the difference between an intuitive ping that prevents you from moving forward at a particular time and the feeling of looking at a list filled with stuff you’re just NOT gonna do unless you pretty much make yourself.
We can usually tell when we’re hesitating to act on something NOT due to peril but due to… what? Fear of failure. Fear of success. Fear of disappointment. Fear of disappointing others. Fear of being wrong. Fear of being right — that this is a great idea — and that we’re about to experience a tier-jump we’re not yet prepared to handle. All of these things.
Whatever it is, often times we don’t get going on (or get to finishing) something because we’re straight-up blocked. As Steven Pressfield reveals in The War of Art, defining that block is less important than getting past it. I use another acronym to go with my JFDI-related resistance and that’s BNTC — Better Name To Come (this is often used in screenwriting to hold the place for a character name that’s not working but not important enough to figure out while holding up the process of moving the story forward for now).
Sure, it’s handy to label a problem and analyze its WHY and really dig into it, but often that whole thing is a manifestation of resistance of its own! Talk about a time-suck! You can delay moving forward for a looooong time while you try and figure out what the problem really is.
Instead, let’s say, “Hmm. A problem. A block. Something that’s keeping me from JFDI-ing it. Interesting,” and then put that block aside — label it as nothing more than resistance, a block, a BNTC-something that we can put into a box and shove under the bed for now — and then get to work. JFDI style.
Here’s what happens when we JFDI. We get stronger for dealing with that BNTC resistance later. We get work done. We elevate our game. Then we open that old box when we’re looking for a rainy day project and suddenly notice, “Oh, man! There’s nothing *in* this box anymore!” And that’s because doing the work is the cure for it all. It always is.
Today’s work: Create a JFDI list. Put on it something that is in limbo NOT because it’s appearing on a list that’s been ranked beautifully in several different ways (Day 17), NOT because it’s a macro day and the task is a micro one (Day 20), NOT because you’re not aligned but someday will be (Day 31), and NOT because you’ve gotta be clocked in to make it happen out of respect for your boundaries (Day 33). Put on it the things that absolutely must happen but never will ‘less you JFDI.
Extra credit: Do something from your JFDI list right now. Share that victory below.
’til tomorrow… stay ninja!
