Why deceive yourself, you ask, because we already do this regularly. It is important to understand what purpose we are pursuing with this deception. Let's say you decide to start running or going to the gym. And at first everything seems so real in our thoughts, but in reality, when faced with difficulties or even without them, why do we lose motivation and stop doing it, sometimes without even starting) In an article about learning English, I described the reasons and ways to overcome them. Today we’ll focus on sports, namely running. On April 7, I took part in a 5 km race, where there were 6,108 participants. In order to participate in this race, I prepared and ran this distance every other day (3-4 times a week). It wasn’t difficult for me to do this, but I didn’t show any great results either. Among the participants were super prepared, as well as those who simply came for the company, so not everyone reached the finish line (6084, by mathematical calculations - 24 people could not), Record 00:14:15. The oldest participant, 77 years old, ran the distance in 00:28:20, and the 71-year-old participant ran the distance in 00:42:09. My result is 00:36:18 and I am 42 years old. So, what am I all about? Tell me, are you inspired by other people’s results or, on the contrary, demotivated? For me personally, these are rather just indicators that a person can achieve thanks to his perseverance and work. When I started running, there were those who spoke about the harm of running, that my joints and back “won’t tell me for this, thank you.” There were also those who, on the contrary, supported me. But the point is not in those or others, but in you. If you yourself don’t want this or don’t make an effort on yourself, then no matter how much you are encouraged or, on the contrary, dissuaded (this also happens, we act contrary to others), you will quit this activity. The reasons for quitting everything can be very diverse. But most often this is precisely our thinking. Our brain doesn't like it when we try to change something radically. Especially if we think in terms of a perfectionist. “From this day on, I will only do this and nothing else” or black and white thinking, if I couldn’t do it, then everything is terrible and I’m bad/worthless/irresponsible, etc. It is easy to fall into this pit of self-flagellation by making some mistake or allowing weakness. Therefore, we need to trick our brain and make it clear that we will just try or try to start doing something, and then we’ll see what happens, maybe we’ll like it. No generalizations, catastrophizing or excessive demands on yourself. Deceiving yourself and starting to do something no matter what can be difficult, but possible. Perhaps you have a dream, goal or task that you want to achieve, but for some reason you cannot take on it. But there are ways to trick your brain and take action, even if it seems like everything around you is against you and it’s impossible. First, it’s important to set clear goals and write them down. Research shows that when we write down our goals, our chances of achieving them increase. Set a specific goal and determine an action plan that will help you achieve that goal. Second, focus on the positive aspects and benefits of achieving the goal. Imagine yourself having already achieved this goal, feel the joy and satisfaction that you will feel when you achieve your goal. This will help you trick your mind and take action. Thirdly, it is important to create your own personal motivation and inspiration. Find something that truly inspires you and motivates you to take action. Maybe it's past success, other people's stories, music, a book or a movie. Use this inspiration to take action. Finally, don't be afraid to make mistakes and fail. Remember that every failure brings you closer to your goal. Be flexible and ready to change your plan of action. It is important to just start moving forward, even if everything seems difficult. It's better to do 1% of 100% than to do nothing. As they say, at least lie down in the direction of the goal. Free mini-session of 30 minutes. I work in the CBT approach. More details on my