061 How to find your persistent resistance

You’ve really want to do something for a long, but can’t seem to do it. That’s persistent resistance. Here’s how you find the source of it.

This week’s Inspire Me quote is from the witty Yogi Berra:

“90% of the game is half mental.”

Do you have a bucket list dream? Something you’re dying to do and it’s killing you?

If so, you have a case of persistent resistance. Understanding its source is key to getting going on the very thing you want to do, but can seem to start. We’re not talking about the stuff you don’t like doing so you procrastinate getting it done. No, We’re talking about the kind of resistance that we feel whenever we want to the thing we dream of doing.

Resistance is made up of two parts: the behaviors of resistance and the beliefs of resistance. The key to unlocking what our area of persistent resistance is in asking four questions. The first is easier to uncover than the other three:

1. What have I persistently wanted to do, but haven’t? That’s the persistent part. Usually there’s more than one thing. If so, that’s even better because it helps in uncovering more clues to what’s keeping you from it.
2. What behaviors do I engage in that keep me from it? We don’t usually trade off the thing we want to do with “bad” behavior–though that’s possible. Instead, we usually find an acceptable substitute. But, deep down, we know it’s a lesser “yes” for us.
3. What’s the underlying emotion that triggers the avoidance behavior? Be honest. Write down the way you are feeling at the moment you go into avoidance. This requires a lot of self-awareness, but to understand the emotional triggers to our avoidance is key to unlocking the grip of persistent resistance.
4. What beliefs do I need to correct? In this episode Leary and Armin walked through these steps and shared some of their own misbeliefs that keep them frozen in persistent resistance.

This week’s Challenge Me:

Identify your areas of persistent resistance and take note of when the resistance comes up.

Resources mentioned or related to this podcast that may be helpful to you:

• Four things you need to know about resistance, Reinventure Me episode 18 on resistance.
• The one thing guaranteed to hold you back, Reinventure Me episode 48 on how our sense of shame can keep us from our very best