Truth or Consequences

Consequences.  

The world is full of them.  And usually they're a hell of a lot more immediate than "if a butterfly flaps his wings in Tokyo..." (Which, let me say, is not really a theory that I buy.)  The consequences I'm currently dealing with?  I have PLENTY of time to study!  Instead I'll spend time with the Boy one weekend and then go take a four day weekend at home with my family the next weekend!

Consequences?

Didn't do that great on my final trial for trial ad and just started studying for finals TODAY.  (And I mean JUST STARTED.  Like, at noon today.)  So I'm both disappointed and feeling a little sick at the prospect of finishing everything on time.

But there are such things as POSITIVE consequences too!  Like the fact that I feel incredibly relaxed and my brain is full of oxytocin from the amount of chocolate I ate this weekend.  And I'm not that worried about my trial ad grade.  Why?  Because I worked my butt off for that class during the semester and rocked it weekly.  So, you know, I didn't put in the work at the end.  No big deal.

The trick is to think about the consequences ahead of time.

1.  KNOW THYSELF.  I don't accomplish things if I leave Chicago.  And I don't really accomplish anything other than reading in my apartment.  So I know that if I want to accomplish something, I have to go to the library.  If I don't go because I don't want to put pants on,* I know that I'm not going to get the work done.  Because I know how I operate.

2.  DON'T LIE.  Yeah, just because you know yourself doesn't mean you're getting anywhere.  This is where I usually get tripped up.  Sure, I know that if I stay in my apartment I won't get anything done, but I usually end up telling myself "You can totally work from home today!  You feel super motivated!"  My other favorite self-delusion is "Five more minutes of wasting time and I'll get back to work."  If you know the facts, go with them.

3.  FIND YOUR MOTIVATION.  I know I've talked about proper motivation before, but really, you can't be too motivated.  Sometimes that motivation is positive, like a margarita at the end of the day, or some tv watching before bed, but I like to think in terms of negative reinforcement when it comes to consequences.  That's why whenever I'm making a decision, big or small, I like to pretend all the consequences are in the voice of my mother.  That way I get that feeling of guilt-ridden guidance!

4.  THINK POSITIVE!  I know I just said to be negative, but make sure you consider the positive consequences that will flow from a decision as well as the negative ones.  Sure, sleeping in is a waste of time, but you know what's great about it?  That feeling of sneaky well-being.  Maybe you shouldn't go out on Friday night.  After all, you're broke and too busy studying.  But hey!  Life needs balance and you need to stop sitting and staring at a computer screen!  Just remember:  When considering your pros/cons list, really consider the pros of the situation.

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*Which is what happened yesterday.