As I open my eyes I notice how groggy I feel. I’m also slightly hungover. Not interested in doing any type of movement or physical activity. Just give me one more hour of sleep. This internal battle goes on for a while. Looking up at the ceiling this small voice inside me shouts to get up. I reluctantly listen and grab my journal. My day has now begun. Today is one of “those days”. A day where you don’t want to do anything. You’ll always have these type of days no matter how successful or driven you are. It’s in our nature. But how do we reduce the number of days and what should we do when we start feeling like this? The last thing you want to do is skip whatever you had planned for your day ahead. Pushing through and doing the work is what separates the good from the great. So what should you when you have this feeling? There are a couple tricks I have learned to combat these negatives thoughts. It’s not a foolproof plan but it will help you keep on track.

Keep your eyes on the prize

Focus on the end result everyday. Think big picture but realize how important consistency and hard work is everyday. If you wake up feeling like crap you can change your attitude. You need to do the work eventually so why not now? What I use for this is the five minute journal. I write down three things I’m grateful for, three things that would make the day great and then right down my daily affirmations (I am motivated, driven and worthy..). This helps me start my day off on the right foot by helping me realize how blessed I am. You don’t need to buy the five minute journal to write down these items but I would highly suggest it. Do this at the beginning of every day before anything else.

Just Do it

This is simple. Just do it. Wake up and do the worst thing you have to do for the day or whatever is on the top of your to do list. “Eat a live frog first thing in the morning and nothing worse will happen to you the rest of the day.” – Mark Twain. This is one of my favorite quotes but it’s so true. Do the worst or hardest thing first thing in the morning and the rest of your day will be easy. You feel accomplished and motivated. It’s going to suck and it’s not going to be easy. But remember, just do it and everything else falls into place.

Remain consistent

Consistency is the key to success. When having one of those days remind yourself that everyday counts. Every second matters. So how do we remain consistent? What works great for me is to block out a portion of time on my calendar to where i do my most important work. Usually first thing in the morning or right before bed at night. You have to block this time and make it sacred. No matter what happens you must do your work at that time every day to create consistency to the point where you won’t even have to think about it. It becomes your routine. If a friend asks you do do something at your blocked off time you kindly let them know you can’t. This will help you power through those days and kick their asses.

Keep pushing through. Get rid of the bad habits and create new ones. This is your time to shine. Don’t let “those days” get in the way on your path to success. Pushing through these tough times separates you from the majority of the population. Keep your eyes on the prize, Just do it and remain consistent.