The Power of 'One Day'

Do you ever get to the point during your days when you want to toss in the towel because you feel so overwhelmed with life? Maybe your significant is demanding too much of your time, or you've fallen behind at work. Perhaps you hate yourself because you seem to drink every night, or as much as you try, you can't evade buying a pack of cigarettes once a day. I have a simple strategy to allay these feelings of anxiety: exercise the power of 'one day.'

It needn't be about developing a plan to reconstruct your entire life. You don't have to break up with your girlfriend or boyfriend or profess to your mother, who won't get off your tail to come and visit, that you no longer want to have anything to do with her. All you must do is make a conscious effort to 'get shit done for one solitary day.' 

I'm a huge fan of lists. In the morning, or the eve of the 'one day,' jot down a few things you'd like to attack. Maybe this line-up looks something like: 1) No text messaging 2) Finish laundry, or at least ten of the twenty loads that have stacked up 3) No beers or cigarettes all day, if I want to return to one or both the second day, then so be it 4) Complete x portion of a work project I am working on 5) Devise a list of possible things I could make of my (in this moment seems to be) hopeless life. EDITORIAL NOTE: You are not hopeless, and try to remember that what you tell yourself puts you in a better stead to manifest it, whether it be positive or negative. I suggest you focus on the positive. 

Get lots of sleep before your big day. That way, you won't fight your commitment while battling a hangover, or struggle additionally to ward off the chemical reaction that typically comes about after long nights of drinking, resulting in feelings of self-defeat. Make your one day count. After all: you wouldn't pound the town before a big race would you? What if you were an olympic athlete? Pretend, just for this day, that you're a champion. You fucking rock.

Make sure your list is REALISTIC. If you set forth too many goals, you could become frustrated at the end of the day when you don't get through the lot. Don't pain if this happens; simply schedule another 'one day' as soon as you can. I guarantee that you will feel like more of a person after a mere day of productivity. If you feel you don't have time to schedule one tiny little day for yourself, then you might consider seeing a therapist. Your problems could be bigger than you; it's possible that you're--at the moment--tightly wound, and simply need a bit of objective perspective. Perhaps this here excerpt will be the first step toward that. Best wishes!