Time

I've noticed that I can make time go more quickly if I think of it in a different way. I notice this particularly when I'm running.

For example, let's say my goal is a mile. That's four laps around the track. I'll focus on only finishing the first lap, and forget about the other three. At the halfway point, I'll tell myself, "You're halfway there, try to finish strongly." When I finish the first lap, I'll congratulate myself. I'll either use this as inspiration and tell myself, "You've done one lap, you can do another" or just forget about it. I'll act as if my second lap is really my first, and I already know that I can do one lap, because I just did. I focus on only what I'm working on now, and not what comes after it. The cycle repeats itself.

I notice that towards the fourth lap, I stop "forgetting" about the other three laps. I focus on finishing strongly. I'm more than half way there. If I could just finish this one lap, which is less than what I've already done, I'll have accomplished my goal.

I try to discount the fact that I get weaker each lap. I try to forget about what weighs me down. If I can't do that, I use it as motivation.

It works most of the time.

This works particularly well when you're waiting for time to pass. Example..break and hour into four 15 minute increments. Same idea.

Anyone do anything similar?

I do this still with cigarettes. When I first quit, I was like "I just have to go this first hour." I did it hour by hour. When the first day was over...I congratulated myself for going a WHOLE DAY without smoking. The first week, every day was hour by hour. Sometimes, when I am having a stressful day, I still do the hour by hour thing. But after a week or two I went day by day..It was like.."OK! I got through today, now I just have to ge through tomorrow!"

Tomorrow will be a month and a half cigarette free for me. I feel like I have conquered the world. I still crave them, every day, but I use the exact same system you are talking about to get myself through it. I just hope that eventually it won't have to be conscious thought.

I'm so proud of you baby

(kyahbean, not annski. but annski is cool too.)

I'm proud of her too!