Here is a question that I read almost a year ago… which is so powerful that I continue to ask it on a regular basis.
The Question: “How long will you put off what you are capable of doing just to continue what you are comfortable doing?”
I read this question in a weekly 3-2-1 weekly newsletter from James Clear, author of Atomic Habits: An Easy & Proven Way to Build Good Habits & Break Bad Ones.
His weekly newsletter is a really good one.
So is his book.
I highly recommend the audio version on Audible.
Okay, enough of introductions.
Let’s get right into the learning material, shall we?
Table of Contents
Inertia
If you’ve been taking opioids for months or longer after you’ve wanted badly to quit, one of the main reasons is due to inertia.
Inertia is a tendency to do nothing or to remain unchanged.
If you’re in the daily habit of using opioids, no doubt the fear of withdrawal is the main issue preventing you from quitting.
But once you have a great detox protocol to use and hopefully a little time off, if you still don’t quit, inertia is likely a force that is acting upon you.
Ambiguity
Another thing that often prevents people from quitting opioids is ambiguity, which is doubtfulness or uncertainty of meaning or intention.
This prevents a full commitment to quit opioids.
The ambiguity I often notice is when a person wants to quit opioids so long as it’s not a major inconvenience and suck-fest.
However, their feelings change and they don’t want to quit as much if the process seems like it will be way too HARD.
“Kicking the Can Down the Road”
Due to a variety of factors (which can also vary with each individual and situation), many people who want to quit opioids end up stuck on the drugs for years and years.
Some never try to quit, but more commonly I see people trying to detox but not being successful at quitting or staying off opioids long-term.
After one or more failures at attempting to quit opioids, many people will simply “kick the can down the road”; thus, they will put off confronting a difficult issue or making an important decision, typically on a continuing basis.
The Power of Questions
Getting off opioids is hard enough on the brain and body without having to also be up against things like inertia and ambiguity.
Fortunately, I’ve realized that asking yourself empowering questions on a regular basis is the number one tactic for removing mental blocks, ambiguity, inertia, fear, and more.
I first learned about empowering questions in the Tony Robbins self-improvement system called The Ultimate Edge.
It was in this program that I was instructed to start off each day asking myself empowering questions.
Here are some examples of empowering morning questions to ask yourself:
- What am I grateful for in my life?
- What am I most excited about today?
- Who do I love and who loves me?
- What am I most passionate about today?
At the end of each day, the program instructed me to ask myself empowering evening questions.
Here are examples of empowering evening questions to ask yourself:
- What am I proud of accomplishing or doing today? Why does that make me proud?
- What was a magic moment that happened that brings a smile to my face?
- What could I have done better today?
Fact is…
Most people ask themselves disempowering questions all day every day.
These are questions like “Why can’t I ever get ahead?”
Or “Why can’t I ever follow through with what I say I want to do?”
This disempowering self-talk is a mental software virus that needs to be eliminated.
Luckily, to reduce or eliminate negative self-talk you simply notice when you’re saying (internally and out loud) disempowering questions and statements, and then replace them with empowering questions and statements.
This is known as empowering or positive self-talk.
Quitting opioids is much easier when you’re hyperaware of the thoughts you’re thinking, the words you’re saying, the questions you’re asking, and the meaning you’re giving to situations.
When you develop this skill, everything in life becomes easier because you break out of the unconscious autopilot and take back control of your thinking.
The Ultimate Empowering Question
Out of all the empowering questions, I’ve ever heard or asked myself, the question from the beginning of this piece is probably my favorite.
If you really want to benefit from it…
Write this question down on an index card and put it somewhere you’ll see it each morning.
This constant focus on it will keep it at the forefront of your mind.
I’ll end this piece with the powerful question… and I hope it benefits you as much as it has for me.
“How long will you put off what you are capable of doing just to continue what you are comfortable doing?”
-James Clear
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