I sat down in Starbucks thinking it would be fun to start off my work by writing this blog. I usually find that a little creative writing warms me up for the other stuff that I need to get done. It doesn’t happen to me very often, but as I sat here, it occurred to me that there was nothing that I wanted to write about. I sat for a while, waiting for something to come to me, entertaining different ideas about what I could write about, and so on, only to continue to come up dry. I could have just said, “Well, now’s not the time.” There wouldn’t be anything wrong with that, right? I mean, why not just wait until the inspiration strikes me and then write something I can really sink my teeth into – something that readers (all 3 of them) might find really interesting and helpful. I could have done that, but instead, I just decided to start writing about how I didn’t have anything to write about. Interestingly, just beginning to write got my mind working and some ideas flowing. You can judge whether these ideas are worth reading about, of course. Perhaps after reading this, you might be thinking that I should have waited until I felt some degree of inspiration. In any case, this experience got me thinking about one of my all-time favourite quotes:
“Do not wait until the conditions are perfect for you to begin. Beginning makes the conditions perfect.” – Alan Cohen
I think this is the all-time best quote for procrastinators, but it has a lot of wisdom to offer people struggling with depression, too. How often do you think, “I’ll do that when I’m less tired, hungry, or depressed; when I’m happier or calmer; when I’ve had a good sleep; when the time is right; when I really need to; or when x, y, and z are true”? What if getting started makes now the best time to start? This is a really important lesson to learn if you’ve ever struggled with depression. When you’re depressed, the idea of getting out of bed, getting dressed, and stepping out the door might seem as daunting as climbing a mountain. So, you decide to wait until you feel more motivated, less tired, less anxious, and less depressed. And, you wait. And wait. And wait. Meanwhile, two weeks pass, and you’re still mostly in bed (or in your pyjamas and haven’t eaten, bathed, or talked with anyone). It’s so hard to break this kind of pattern, but the first step is the most important one. If you’re struggling with depression, often the first step opens the door for the next step, and the next step, and so on. Beginning makes the conditions perfect. OK, well, perhaps not “perfect” in the sense that you might still feel miserable, tired, and unmotivated. But, if you make each step your whole life in that moment, you might find that things will start to change. Make sitting up, stepping out of bed, getting your socks on, brushing your teeth, etc., your entire life. Throw your whole mind and body into the activity (participate, as we say in the DBT mindfulness skills). Make the conditions perfect by making each small step you take your entire universe. Forget yourself, your depression, your fatigue, and so on, and jump into whatever you’re doing with both feet. – Alexander L. Chapman, Ph.D., R.Psych.