Oct 2, 2026 · Theme of the week: Action
Feeling Friday - Edition 39
| Feeling Friday |
| Theme of the week: Action |
| On Monday, I shared how connecting a few calendars had become this massive task in my head. I had imagined the complications before I had even sat down to see what needed to be done. |
| Once I started, I could work through the actual problem. The next step became clearer, and the worry I had built around it began to settle. |
| I keep coming back to that experience because it reminded me how easily thinking about something can become a substitute for doing it. I can spend so much time preparing to start that, by the end of the day, I feel mentally exhausted without having made any progress. |
| So this Friday, I want to share two simple ways to make starting feel more manageable. |
| Mindset activity #1: 5 minutes |
| Choose one task that needs to be done. Set a timer for five minutes and commit to working on just one small part of it. When the timer ends, you have permission to stop. |
| If you have been putting off an email, open the draft and write the first few sentences. If you need to organize a room, begin with one drawer. |
| Knowing you only have to give something five minutes can make it easier to begin. You are giving yourself a commitment that feels manageable, even when the whole task feels overwhelming. |
| You might find that, once you start, you want to keep going. If you do, great. If you stop after five minutes, you have still followed through and moved the task forward. That counts. |
| Mindset activity #2: an appointment with the task |
| “Work on the project” can sit on a to-do list for days. It leaves you to decide when to begin and what you are actually going to do. |
| Try putting a specific appointment in your calendar instead. Include a start time, a place, and one small thing you intend to complete. |
| For example: “Saturday, 10:00–10:20 a.m., at my desk: write the opening paragraph of my proposal.” |
| When that time arrives, you have already decided where to be and how to begin. That clarity can help you follow through without having to negotiate with yourself all over again. |
| You can also combine these practices: schedule a time, then commit to the first five minutes. |
| For me, this brings us back to the stoic reminder to “stick to the situation at hand.” I do not need to carry every possible difficulty in my head before I begin. I can give my attention to the step in front of me and respond to what comes next. |
| Before you close this email, choose one thing you have been putting off. Decide what your first five minutes will look like and when you will give yourself that time. |
| Stay strong, even when you are not. It’s okay, you are not alone. |
| With love always, |
| Michael Argyrides |
| Pathtobecoming.ca |
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