We all know the old adage, “Fake it till you make it.”, but something that has been a recurring theme in my life that I believe has been to my extreme benefit is facing that thing that is eating at your soul but is also somehow evading being brought to the surface.

I think because the thought of conquering whatever it is is unpleasant, instinctually, our minds send it to the backburner. It’s probably simple enough to accomplish. You may not even know why it is so difficult to face, but the longer you wait to accomplish it, the heavier it gets to carry and the harder it gets to face.

I believe that we put these things off because of the emotional weight they carry or the real-life significance we believe that they hold for us or others. Sometimes, that significance can be how long we’ve waited to accomplish the thing – we think it’s too late or that we’ve already disappointed the person that was waiting. The longer we put the thing off though, the more impact it can have on our lives and others, and, worst of all, it’s all our fault. We give it more power over us than it was ever meant to have!

So, when a thing doesn’t get done, we make excuses – not for others – but for ourselves to believe, so we can stop blaming ourselves. It’s a simple enough solution and not at all helpful. We think we’ve gotten away with hiding our weakness from others, but it’s more like we’ve put it on display for them and us to see. It’s glaring at us – the elephant in the room that was only ever meant to be a tiny mouse-of-a-something. This solution is insidious because now we’ve taught our brain that this is how we cope with things we don’t want to do and that we can avoid the consequences.

So, how do we face responsibilities that carry invisible weight?

Well, you have to start fresh where you are today and not carry your past mistakes like anchors behind you. Train your brain to recognize small tasks that carry great significance for you and to process them on the front end.

Ask yourself and be as honest as possible:

1. What is the task?
2. What is the significance of doing this task?
3. What are my misperceptions of the consequences of completing this task?
4. What is the real impact of completing this task on myself and others?
5. What am I afraid of?

Play the scenario out in your head. Be honest. If the worst were to happen – that thing that you are so afraid of, would you survive? How would you answer that situation? Own whatever you are afraid to own, and move on. And, whatever you do, do the thing that terrifies you today that will make tomorrow better.