This has been a weird month to say the least.  I’ve seen quite a few instances where I needed to make a decision and somehow, I ended up deciding to do the exact opposite of what I’d normally choose.  And guess what? It was exactly what I needed to do.

Feel under the weather? Don’t just sit there – Exercise. For the last few weeks, I’ve been sick enough to be slightly uncomfortable – not major symptoms, but enough to not feel 100%.  I haven’t felt like doing much, I’m in pajamas for most of my personal time and I really just want to take naps and go to bed early.  But, I made a commitment to my workout classes and my running routine – so I kept up with both of those.  And I’ve felt better each time I’ve gone.  Now, my form has been ugly (so ugly, in fact, that my teacher asked what is going on – yikes) and my running has been slow, but after I’ve completed both I’ve felt better.  Why the opposite works: Getting up and moving gets your body going and can put your mind on something else. When I’m running 4 miles, I don’t have time to think about my headache – and by the time I’m done, it’s always gone.  Think about what you can do.  Even taking a walk around the block can help clear your mind and get you back on track.

Frustrated with someone and ready to give up? Don’t ignore it – Address the problem directly. Everyone has those people who bother them? Yes, me too.  I really get tired of constant negative attitudes. But after a considerable amount of time, I realized I’d been listening to the negativity and it was dragging me down.  I’d been holding in my feelings with this situation for so long, I’d forgotten what it was like to address the situation directly.  Then one day, when this person called and again filled my mind with negativity, I decided to do something about it.  I called them back and talked to them about what they’d said and how it made me feel. And of course, I dealt with it super professionally – cried like a baby most of the time (awesome).  But I felt much better – like a giant weight had been lifted from my chest. Why the opposite works: This person had no idea what they were saying and how it made me feel.  By approaching the problem directly, I was able to begin to repair the relationship. Think about what you can do.  Don’t worry right now about the person’s response.  The fact that you can speak to the problem will take a load off of your mind.

Have too much to do? Don’t ignore it – conquer one thing at a time.  I see people all of the time burdened by the weight of the things they need to get done.  And it seems like the more they ignore the problem, the bigger it gets.  Never fear! I’ve found that when I’ve got a mountain of things to do, it’s much easier to accomplish everything if I just focus one thing at a time (if you’re wondering – that is my secret for getting everything done). By doing this, I’m not burdened with the giant task, but instead I have small, manageable pieces that seem easy to do. I think this mindset also helps encourage me to keep going.  By taking the mountain of projects and making them (tons of) tiny tasks, I can see my progress throughout the project and I’m excited – marking things off of a to do list is sometimes exactly what I need to see to keep going. Why the opposite works: Ignoring things will never make them better or go away.  You’ll have to keep thinking about it until you get it done.  Why not start today? Got a giant project at home or work? List 10 small things that need to be done to get started or get going.  And then start with one of those.  It is so much easier to do the little things – and they lead to the big things.

You make good decisions, but remember there is value in looking at all of the possibilities. Sometimes you know the exact opposite of what you need to do – and it is the exact thing you needed. Be brave enough to admit your wrong (even if it’s just for yourself) and get it done.