Getting mad at your future self

We're basically a bundle of habits, good and bad.

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Which means every single action we take is a vote for the person we want to be.

I want to be a person who springs out of bed at 6.30 every morning, irritatingly cheerful and ready to plunge into the day as if it were a pile of buttery mashed potatoes.

But I'm not. At least, not yet.

I'm currently a person who hides under the covers and whinges and stomps around resentfully when I wake up.

My halfway house is this: alarm goes off at 6 am and all I have to do is turn on my light and sit up. That's all. I get to stay snug and warm and read my book until my Fitbit goes off at 6.30 am, then I get up.

But on Wednesday morning, I got the "first week back at work" sloth. I really did not want to get out of bed.

I argued with myself.

I reasoned with myself.

I asked Joe if I should just stay in bed for an hour or so and then get up; I didn't have any early calls or anything.

Then I remembered how I feel when I get up late: furious with myself. Frustrated. Discombobulated. Ashamed.

Next time you find yourself reasoning your way out of a habit that will help you become the person you want to be, project yourself into the future and imagine what you'll feel after you've missed it.

I do not want to feel furious, frustrated, discombobulated, or ashamed.

The memory of how I would feel if I stayed in bed was enough to drag my lazy carcass downstairs and into the shower – and into a well-earned cup of tea.

Getting mad with Future Me is just one of my techniques for doing the things I deep-down want to do, but which Present Me just can't be arsed with.

Sitting down to write this email was a struggle, too. I didn't want to. I wanted to rescue lemmings and drink tea on the sofa.

A combination of yelling at Future Me and making my office cosy and delightful with fairylights and classical music shifted me, and here we are.

Writing is hard. Building a writing habit is hard. But you don't have to struggle on alone.

Let me help! I'm running a free 28-day Write a Bunch of Words Challenge starting on February 1 – are you in?

If so, click here and in a week or so, I'll send you details of how to sign up.

Make 2020 the year you write your book – step by Tiny Beetle Step.

And never underestimate the power of getting mad at Future You as a motivational tool.

p.s. here's that link again if you fancy building a healthy, fun writing habit. I'll be in touch in a week or so with more details.