Energy Boost – 7 Ways to Crush Squirming Worms
You have power to create an energy boost today.
Two worn out UPS devices gathered dust in our garage for months. I replaced them but didn’t recycle them. I had bigger fish to fry. Small things left undone morph into squirming worms that create the “you should” burden.
You should recycle those UPS devices. You should also recycle that broken umbrella frame and old pool ladder, too. “You should” do a million things. Stop “shoulding on yourself” and do it. “Should” drains the life out of you.
Image by Rebecca Scholz from Pixabay
I felt a delightful energy boost when I recycled those squirming worms. I hadn’t noticed the soul sucking effect of seeing those dust covered UPS devices. That’s the thing about squirming worms, they suck your soul imperceptibly.
Energy boost:
- Create an energy boost by eliminating small irritants. They’re easy to put off because they’re small. But they multiply unnoticed.
- “Should on yourself” less. Sometimes the pressure you put on yourself is ridiculous. Don’t do other people’s jobs. How can you turn recurring “shoulds” into action or preparation?
- Schedule limited time to crush squirming worms. Small irritants turn into big distractions if you chase them all day. Keep a list of “should” items. Schedule an hour to crush squirming worms.
- Cross items off your “should” list by giving them to someone else.
- Some “shoulds” masquerade as small items. They’re actually big night crawlers. Schedule them on your to-do list.
- Learn to say “No.”
- Pair up with an accountability partner. Complain to someone about the squirming worm problem. When they have the same problem ask, “What can we do about this?” and mean it.
Tip: Surprise your team by ending a meeting 30 minutes early. Explain how squirming worms drain people. Encourage anyone who has squirming worms to go crush one or two in the bonus 30 minutes they have.
Do you experience an energy boost when you finish things you’ve been putting off?
How might people protect themselves from small energy drains?
Still curious:
Dear Dan: I Put Stuff Off and Work All Weekend
Overcome Procrastination for Improved Mental Health
I needed this today. Thanks for your insight and great ideas!
Steady on, monamarquardt.
For me the “squirming worms” is the clutter or “visual noise” which distracts me from taking care of the important things. I find that the 30 – 60 minutes invested in dealing with the visual noise clears my line of sight to focus on the real stuff!
I especially like your “Should yourself less” advice! Nicely article, Dan!
Thanks SNVMC. It’s great to have enough self-awareness to notice what’s distracting. Sometimes I can have the mindset of pushing through everything. A little self-reflection goes a long way.
Do you experience an energy boost when you finish things you’ve been putting off? Yes. A clear head is energizing.
How might people protect themselves from small energy drains? Don’t allow the little things on your to-do list linger.
Thanks Paul. Isn’t there a rule, if you can finish in 3 minutes, do it now?