It’s overwhelming to think about the future, isn’t it? There are just so many things you need to do, plans to make, responsibilities ahead, and unknowns that you can’t account for. How do you handle all of that?
Well, you handle all of that by preparing today. Sometimes we don’t realize that there are relatively simple actions we could take right now that could help us out tomorrow.
We overlook them because they often seem too small or counterintuitive. But what you must keep in mind is that big gains are often the result of many small actions. What kind of actions? Well…
8 counterintuitive actions to take today that set you up for a better tomorrow
1. Say no to something you could do.
How are your boundaries? Do you make enough time for yourself? Not just for your responsibilities, but for rest and relaxation?
Many of us are in the habit of just agreeing to whatever needs to be done because that’s how busy people tend to do things. Maybe a friend needs a favor, the boss needs you to work longer, or whatever.
Tell them “no,” even if you’re able to.
Why? Because telling that person “no” is going to do a few things for you. The first thing is that it will reveal how much that person actually values you.
If you tell someone “no” and they throw a fit, you’ll want to consider whether or not that person is taking advantage of you. If you are a people-pleaser, other people will fill your schedule up with their responsibilities yet never seem to have the time for you.
You’ll come away with more time to yourself, and you’ll learn who you should strengthen your boundaries with.
2. Spend money on something that would save you time or stress.
Time is the most valuable commodity there is. You only have twenty-four hours in your day, seven days a week, just like the rest of us. The more of that time you can free up, the more flexibility you have for your responsibilities and leisure.
With that in mind, it is well worth it to spend money on things that will save you time and stress, in my opinion.
I tend to think about the cost-to-benefit ratio when I’m making that decision. For example, when I took up an audio project, I decided to just hire an audio editor rather than editing myself. Could I teach myself audio editing with YouTube and several hours? Yes, I could. I’ve taught myself several things that way. But I don’t really have the time for it.
So instead, I spend a few dollars to pay someone who knows how to do it well for me. That way, I can devote my time and attention to other things.
3. Set fewer goals and build more processes.
Goals! That’s what we need more of! Right? Well, not necessarily. Big goals aren’t what get you to the finish line. Not only that, but a goal is only the byproduct of something far more important – systems and processes.
Let’s say I want to lose weight. “Losing weight” is a broad goal that is hard to act on. Instead, we need to develop a system to make that goal happen. I want to lose weight, so what processes can I develop for eating and exercising?
An exercise or a meal plan is a system that will take you to the goal. “I’m only going to eat 1400 calories a day.” Then you break that down. How are you going to break down your 1400 calories? Are you going to eat three meals? Are you going to intermittently fast and only have a snack and dinner?
Systems are actions that move you forward. Goals are the finish line at the end of the race.
4. Instead of trying to fix multiple things at once, focus on fixing only one thing.
Life can explode in your face with all kinds of unforeseen problems and responsibilities. It can get overwhelming really fast. One way that you can prevent that overwhelming feeling is by narrowing your focus.
Instead of worrying about all ten problems right now, focus on the most urgent matter ahead of you. Focus on it until it’s done. Once it’s done, you move to the next, and then the next.
And before you know it, you’ll be through it.
The human brain is not built to multitask. Multitasking is mentally and emotionally taxing. People think they’re being efficient when in reality, they’re just exhausting themselves by trying to spread their attention too thin.
5. Rest instead of being productive.
Exhaustion is not a noble or admirable feat. Far too many people view it as some kind of moral barometer. If you worked hard, you deserve things like rest and relaxation, right?
But what if I told you that you deserve rest and relaxation regardless of how hard you work? In many cases, we don’t even need to work ourselves to exhaustion; we just need better support or planning.
Don’t push through your exhaustion. Take the time to sit down and rest. Create the time for it. If you’re a busy person, you may just need to write rest and relaxation into your schedule and then treat it as though it is the most important task you have, because it is.
It’s how you stay mentally and emotionally healthy.
6. Choose to do something badly so you can improve.
The first step toward being good at something is a willingness to be bad at it.
For example, I’m not a good cook. I can follow recipes just fine. But anything more than that, or trying to figure things out on my own, typically doesn’t work out all that well.
I reached a point where I got tired of spending so much money on takeout, so I just committed to cooking badly regularly.
As time’s gone on, I’ve gotten better and better at it. Not only that, but I’ve also saved a lot of money on food without the additional service fees, delivery fees, and a tip.
Everyone is bad at things when they first try. That’s just the way it works. It’s nothing to be ashamed of and is certainly no reason not to do something.
7. Just make the decision.
Have you ever heard of analysis paralysis? It’s when a person gets so wrapped up in their research about a decision that they don’t make a decision in a timely fashion.
Now, that doesn’t mean that we shouldn’t do any research at all. After all, if you’re going to undertake a goal, then it helps to have an idea of the challenges you might face.
However, in certain situations you may find that all of that research or planning doesn’t mean anything. You can get smacked with a problem you didn’t anticipate or know about. Then? Then you have to rely on your own competence and ability to either fix it yourself or find a solution.
Procrastinating won’t get you any closer to success. Just make the decision.
8. Ask for help if you need it.
I should really take my own advice here. I can be a stubborn guy when it comes to addressing a problem or making a mistake. I know this about myself. It’s something I’m working on.
The reality is that there is no shame in asking for help. I think about it like this: there are like 8+ billion people in the world and an infinite amount of knowledge and wisdom out there.
I can’t possibly know everything. I may not even know what answer to look for. Why should I be ashamed of understanding that I have limits? It doesn’t make me any less of a man. It’s just about my pride and ego. Why suffer unnecessarily when I have what’s necessary within my reach?
So, if you’re resistant to asking for help, be bold and try asking for it. It can save you time, strengthen your relationships, and reduce your stress and frustration.
Closing thoughts…
There are so many little actions that we should do that we don’t. Unfortunately, so much of a happy and fulfilled life is on the other side of making those decisions. We have to do the things that we really don’t want to do, or that may seem counterintuitive.
Despite what most advice would have you believe, setting goals is not the solution.
A goal is just a finish line. You still need to run the race. Every decision you make today that you don’t want to make is one step closer to that goal line.
