One thing I think is useful in moments like these is to sincerely ask yourself “what’s the larger goal I’m achieving with the task I’m doing right now?” For instance, if you’re doing something most people would see as boring or mundane, like organizing your folders for your business, take a moment and ask yourself “what’s the bigger purpose behind the organizing I’m doing right now?” What I think you’ll see, if you sincerely ask this question, is that you’re organizing the folders so you can provide better service to your clients and colleagues, and do all the wonderful things your business is meant to do.

This is a helpful way to remind yourself that there’s a reason why *you* want to do the task you’re doing right now — it’s not merely something an authority figure has ordered you to do. Of course, when you ask this question, you may discover that you’re simply doing the activity to please or pacify someone else — you’ve said “yes” when you really meant “no” — in which case it may serve you to rethink whether you really want to be doing it.

I also think it’s useful to tune into the sensations coming up in your body when you’re in that resistance mode, and relaxing any tense places you sense. For example, perhaps you’ll find that your solar plexus is tightening up, and you may find it useful to take gentle breaths into that area until the tension starts to let up a bit. Notice how that affects your relationship to what you’re doing.

I hope this is useful to you.

I’m curious about a few things. First, no matter how much you accomplish, do you ever get that feeling of having “done enough”? I get the sense that you’ve already started asking yourself this question. If you look into this, and you discover that the answer is no, that may actually be a liberating realization. You may see that the feeling of “not having done enough” has very little to do with your work, and actually stems from a long-held belief about yourself (perhaps “I can never do enough” or “I’m not good enough”).

Second, I’m curious about how you experience that sense of “not having done enough.” In other words, how does that sense of not having done enough show up in your body? For instance, do you feel a tension somewhere, or perhaps a sense of a hole inside that you can’t seem to fill? Looking at “I haven’t done enough” in terms of how you physically experience it, rather than the whole mental story about how you should have done more, how you messed up, etc., can actually have the sensation start to seem less threatening and more manageable.

I hope this is helpful to you on your journey. — Best, Chris

I’m a bit late for this one. Normally, I have difficulty with getting negative about myself and my writing. Most of this results in me saying, “I should…” or “my writing isn’t as good as…, ” etc.

Since I’ve been reading your book, I’ve discovered some excellent tips for dealing with this negativity. I read Chapter Five and now I’m reading it again, especially the part about “Calling a Truce in the Inner War!” This has been very helpful to me.

I think allowing people to leave a comment and you answering is a great idea! I would definitely recommend that people take a look at your book, as well. It’s really helpful:~)