Why is it so hard to get moving?

[Harmonium]

Why do I resist moving forward on certain things? Why do I have to "force" myself to do things, like forcing myself to solve problems, and learn something that I KNOW I can accomplish so I can put food in my stomach. Why do I have to force? Sometimes I think I just resonate with a scarcity mindset moreso than an abundance one...

If anyone out there can understand what I am trying to convey, how about some advice?

ps. sometimes when I DO get moving It feels really good, like when I solve a medium sized obstacle I feel peaceful

[JMonkey]

My enthusiasm spikes for a couple of days once every say month or so, and then I fall back into the same old pattern as before. Never really gain momentum to keep going or perhaps it's just not having the right motivation?

[kwicherbichen]

Did you take physics? Momentum.

[Harmonium]

Originally Posted by kwicherbichen

Did you take physics? Momentum.

Hmm, No I didn't but I've always wanted to know it. I've done some programming in the past and understanding physics would be really cool for stuff like that

[Trezker]

You should examine your thoughts when you're feeling that resistance.
I often think about doing what I should be doing, and for some reason I get stuck in just thinking about it. I think the words "should" and "need" a lot and I think that's what fills me with feeling that make me uncomfortable.

Just like you say, once it gets done it's a wonderful feeling. But even though you know that it WILL be wonderful to get stuff done, and you know that not doing it fills you with bad feelings, you still don't just do it.

The math is as simple as it gets. But I haven't succeeded in solving the problem yet.

[ttt]

For me it is because i keep thinking that i can achieve the same results in a better way if i only figure out how, and that keeps me from action. When i finally see that i have extremely little time left to do something important, i just say to myself that I ‘must’ do it and i start working without thinking why i do it until i finish. I think it is hard to get moving because we are not sure what we plan to do is the best option, so we keep waiting for another solution. Like reading lots of personal development material and not acting on it, because you are still searching for better suggestions and don’t want to miss the perfect one while being busy with something else.

[Charly]

Originally Posted by ttt

For me it is because i keep thinking that i can achieve the same results in a better way if i only figure out how, and that keeps me from action. When i finally see that i have extremely little time left to do something important, i just say to myself that I ‘must’ do it and i start working without thinking why i do it until i finish. I think it is hard to get moving because we are not sure what we plan to do is the best option, so we keep waiting for another solution. Like reading lots of personal development material and not acting on it, because you are still searching for better suggestions and don’t want to miss the perfect one while being busy with something else.

Then there is the corollary to the situation you are describing.

Spending time trying to evaluate which of the several tasks you have to get done will be most beneficial, or has the highest priority.

So much so that quickly, you've done neither, and priority loses its meaning entirely because you were better off getting even the lowest priority task done rather than none at all.

I think this all has something to do with fear. Fear of not reaching the goal, which pushes us to research a more foolproof way to accomplish it. Fear of wasting time, which would prevent us from reaching the goal, and demands that we find the shortest route before getting started.

Then there is an entirely different matter: the subconscious working to figure out what to do. I've heard psychologists say that, even as you do nothing, you are creating, because your mind is sorting things out. Much like you assimilate what you have learned when you sleep.

If you want to get out of that phase faster, then sort things out consciously (build a plan that leads to a goal).

My advice in this matter is worth what it is worth, but I think prioritizing and planning is extremely useful, but careful not to dwell in it. Go with a good plan (start acting) instead of waiting for the perfect plan (which probably does not exist). You'll get from A to B much faster.

Better yet, you'll get from A to B as opposed to staying stuck in A forever.

But do take some time to at least have a good plan.

But the best tip of all, when you are REALLY stuck, chances are you are frozen with fear, or just worn out. Just tell yourself that your mind is sorting things out. Relax. Stop the guilt and stress. Go for a walk.

Your mind does its job quicker, and you get unstuck quicker.

Mix some "letting your mind sort things out" with some proactive planning, depending on the situation.

Kicking yourself in the butt can work, but only as a last resort

[freewheelnat]

I get like this sometimes and in my case, it's purely out of laziness. Either physical or mental laziness, depending on the situation, but it boils down to the fact that I hope there is a better/easier way to do something and I look for it (similar to what ttt described actually)...

The only cure for this, in my case, is to remind myself that the problem will only get worse if I don't try to tackle it now so the longer I wait, the better the solution has to be, so it's easier in effect to try something, anything now rather than wait a few hours/days/weeks/months before acting.

[Mattyyy]

What kinds of issues are you running into laziness with? That might help answer your question a bit better. Stuff like procrastination tends to be different if it's career based vs. 'stuff I hate but need to get done anyways' based.