Breaking Through Your "Barrier of Discomfort"
In the realm of productivity and creativity, many individuals often face an emotional barrier known as the "Wall of Awful." This wall, composed of feelings such as failure, fear, disappointment, worry, and anxiety, can hinder progress and even prevent the completion of tasks, both necessary and desired.
Enter the "cookie jar" method, a strategy for handling this emotional barrier that has gained popularity among those seeking to boost their productivity and creativity. This method, coined by David Goggins, a renowned Navy Seal and athlete, refers to reflecting on past successes as "reaching into the cookie jar." Goggins, known for his impressive physical feats, uses this method to motivate himself.
The "cookie jar" method can help individuals feel empowered to complete tasks. By reminding oneself of past achievements, it becomes easier to shift negative emotions to positive ones, thereby putting a door through the wall of negative emotions. Listening to motivating music or exercise are other methods to change negative emotions to positive ones.
Time management techniques such as timing tasks or setting a specific amount of time to do tasks can also help in handling the Wall of Awful. Setting clear milestones or mini goals can help individuals climb over the Wall of Awful and feel like they are making progress.
Mahan, from ADHD Essentials, has created the "Wall of Awful" analogy to describe the difficulty in completing tasks, especially for those with ADHD. He suggests that one way to handle the wall is to put a door in it, which equates to changing emotion, or put handholds on it, which equates to establishing strategies to make tasks seem easier.
The "Wall of Awful" concept appears connected with anxiety and resistance, especially in ADHD and neurodivergent communities, indicating that understanding and managing these mental health factors can be part of overcoming this creative block.
In summary, overcoming the Wall of Awful involves embracing experimentation and change in your creative process, allowing yourself mental flexibility, and focusing on learning or supporting tasks as alternative ways to maintain momentum when direct progress stalls. The "cookie jar" method, by reflecting on past successes, provides a simple yet effective way to elicit positive emotions and help individuals overcome the Wall of Awful.
- Bullet journaling, with its focus on personal growth and productivity, can serve as a handhold on the Wall of Awful, offering a systematic approach to tracking tasks and milestones.
- Making health-and-wellness a priority, such as through practicing mindfulness or seeking professional help for mental health issues like anxiety, can help in overcoming resistance and breaking through the Wall of Awful.
- Engaging in education-and-self-development activities related to science, such as researching productivity hacks or learning about cognitive behavioral therapy techniques, can provide valuable strategies for handling the emotional barriers encountered while bullet journaling or tackling other creative projects.
