There will always be times in your life when you think you can’t do something, you know.

You’ll feel stuck and frustrated and like throwing in the towel. I bet you can probably think back to a point not too long ago, where you’ve felt exactly like this. You’ve wanted something so bad and yet every move you make towards the thing you want is like walking into a brick wall. In the end, the brick wall gets so high or so wide or so dang hard to climb over, that there’s really nothing else for you to do other than give in. To sit down on the floor and sulk and cry and bang your fists against that fucking too high brick wall while shouting, “Why is everything so hard!”

And it is hard, it is.

But there’s always another way.

I just had this exact conversation with a very close friend. She’s having a rough time right now. She’s in a job she hates, she’s got an awesome business idea but it’s not getting off the ground as quickly as she wants it too, and she’s getting to the point where she does. not. want to go back to her job. She’s at breaking point. And she’s had enough.

I sat with her for an hour this morning, and in that hour she cried a lot. She also got angry. Angry at me, and herself, and the situation she’s in. I could see her slipping into a resentful fug, and noticed that she kept distracting herself from the emotional reality by checking Facebook and changing the subject and ambivalently scouring job sites on her phone. I asked what her options were and she said she didn’t have any. Defeated, she added, “Well, I’ll just have to go back to my job and get on with it. I’ve tried everything and I just can’t do it”.

Does this sound familiar?

Do you recognise yourself in this?

Do you also often hear yourself say, “Well, I’ve tried everything and I just can’t do it”.

I say BULLSHIT.

You can always do more than you think (which is exactly what I told my friend this morning and exactly what I always tell myself).

Don’t believe me?

Let me show you right now just how much you really can do.

Ready?

Part 1:

If you’re reading this sitting down, stand up. Put your phone or laptop somewhere you can still read this, but keep your arms free.

Stand with your feet together and raise your right arm straight in front of you to shoulder height.

Tilt your head slightly to the right and look along the length of your raised arm.

Now, leaving your right arm raised and without moving your feet, see how far you can turn your upper body round to the right.

Turn as far as you can while continuing to look down your right arm, and make a mental note of a point on the wall that marks how far you reached.

Return to your starting position and lower your right arm.

Breathe.

Part 2:

Now, using your thoughts only, repeat the process in part 1.

Do not physically move your arm or your body, make sure you stay completely still.

Close your eyes and imagine yourself lifting your right arm and tilting your head to look down the length of your right arm.

See yourself turning your upper body round as you did before, but this time, tell yourself that it feels so easy – that you can go much, much further than you did before.

Tell yourself that you can turn at least a metre more than in part 1.

Hold this thought for a moment.

Make a mental note that you turned further than you originally did in part 1 and then slowly imagine yourself returning to the starting position and mentally lower your arm.

Part 3:

Now physically repeat the exercise.

Don’t try harder than you did in part 1, just raise your right arm, tilt your head and turn round to the right.

WOAH!, right?

 

Think you’ve run out of options?

Think you can’t do it?

Think again.

 

ps: I’d love, love for you to video someone, or yourself, doing this exercise, and share it on my Facebook page. You can either upload it directly there or use Youtube or Vimeo and post the link.