Edition #17: Not In The Mood

 Here's What's Up:

• Ignore your feelings

• The stupidly simple way to beat resistance

• How Austin Kleon tricks his brain into creating

• A to-do list for when you'd rather do nothing

 Do It Anyway…

The problem isn't that you're lazy. The problem is you're waiting for your brain to cooperate.

Spoiler: it won't.

Get Sh*t Done: What to Do When You’re Not In the Mood

• Do the dumbest version possible. Open the document. Put on one shoe. Move one dish. It sounds ridiculous because it works.

• Set a 5-minute timer. Tell yourself that's all you have to do. (Plot twist: you'll probably keep going because starting is the hardest part.)

• Pick something with zero friction. Answer the easy email. Highlight one sentence. Organize your desktop. Save the hard stuff for when you're feeling human again.

Get Better At Work: Work When Your Brain Isn’t Feeling It

• Pick one thing you don’t hate doing. Start there.

• Don’t chase flow. Just knock something out.

 Pro move: Switch locations. Change posture. Clean the desk. It can help

How Austin Kleon Outsmarts His Own Brain

The guy who wrote "Steal Like an Artist" doesn't wait for creative lightning to strike. He's figured out that inspiration is unreliable, so he works around it:

• Reopens yesterday's notebook so he's never staring at a blank page

• Makes something every day, even if it's trash (his words, not ours)

• Keeps a "done" list because progress is motivating

• Stops mid-thought so tomorrow's start isn't painful

The takeaway: He doesn't fight his brain's weirdness, he plans for it.

Your "Meh Day" Game Plan

✓ Start with literally anything (5 minutes max)
✓ Do the easiest version that still counts
✓ Write down what you finished (even the small stuff)
✓ Move your body (standing up counts)
✓ Remember: showing up beats feeling good about showing up