I felt my palms sweating as I got ready to press enter on my laptop. My mind tried to talk me out of it, wavering with uncertainty. I erased and re-typed my name four times.
No, what are you doing? We can’t do this. It’s too scary!
My inner self was desperately begging me to stay inside my comfort zone. I don’t blame her, it’s warm and fuzzy in there. But I couldn’t let her win today. I can do the big thing.
I did it. I pressed enter. Signed up.
“Okay, I’m volunteering at school next Friday,” I said out loud to the empty room.
I know, I know, it sounds like a simple thing, right? Going to the elementary school half a mile down the road to spend 30 minutes helping out the kindergarten teacher.
To my anxiety, it was like I had just signed up to be a contestant on Fear Factor (does anyone remember that show?). But staying in my house, wishing I could do things wasn’t getting me anywhere.
Action is important for growing and accomplishing, and this morning I listened to a motivational talk on my anxiety app about “A Call to Action”.
Basically, do that thing you need or want to do even if your mind is resisting it like the plague.
This call to action doesn’t have to be related to anxiety at all. It could just be that one thing you have been putting off all week – the call to the doctor’s office, the hard talk with your sister, the grocery shopping, finally making healthier food choices, or the 30 minute walk you promised you would do.
Whatever it is. Do it.
We get nowhere by standing still.
Plus, that thing you’re avoiding will continue to follow you like a stray cat until you just do it.
If it’s something you’re afraid of doing (like my volunteering at the school), that fear will continue to build because I can guarantee you the more you avoid it, the more you think about it.
You are more capable than you think.
Find your thing today and do it. Then put on your favorite song and do a celebration dance because you are awesome, and you showed up for yourself. Tomorrow, the next thing will be even easier.
Traci xx