How To Make Anything Feel Fun and Easy

TL;DR: Feeling daunted or overwhelmed is literally just a feeling. You can reframe it with a few simple tricks and turn fear and hopelessness into powerful energy that moves you forward.

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Think about a time you did something new and exciting.

Maybe you went ziplining for the first time, or you traveled to another country. Or it could just be trying a new kind of food somewhere you’ve never eaten before.

You were probably having fun. You were in the moment, aware of all the interesting sights and sounds around you.

Since you didn’t know what to expect, you didn’t have many expectations. As a result you weren’t judging yourself. As long as there weren’t any terrible mishaps, you were okay with whatever happened.

Fun. Interesting. A little bit scary, but judgement-free.

This is what adventures feel like.

Now, compare this adventurous experience to how you felt the last time you did something hard that was important to you.

I mean, life is hard.

If you’re trying to make any serious changes, you have to do things you’ve never done before. Sometimes it will be a struggle.

Last time, you may have been too nervous to have fun. The stakes were too high. You were worried about what would happen if you messed up.

You were thinking about the aftermath of the event, and what would happen if you failed or succeeded. You weren’t present in the moment.

When you think about your next big challenge, you might remember all this fear and feel daunted. Then you won’t have the energy to do what needs to be done.

But did you notice something?

The Adventure Reframe

Aside from the way you feel, the formidable challenge you need to overcome is the same situation as the fun and exciting adventure. So why not reframe it as an adventure?

This takes practice, which is one of the reasons it’s good to have lots of adventures and Audacious Goals.

But here are a few tools to help you do that.

Reset your identity

When you don’t think you can accomplish something, what you’re really saying is you’re not yet the kind of person who can do it.

But when you were a kid, how many times did you pretend to be a superhero, an athlete, a wild animal, or anything else you wanted to be?

You are a natural-born shapeshifter, and you can immediately “pretend” to be a great leader, a charming flirt, a successful CEO, or whoever you want to become in order to accomplish an Audacious Goal.

When you pretend to be this new person, you start acting like them. This is what pretending means.

You talk like them, you do what they would do… and guess what?

When you talk and act like this person, you get the same results as they would.

You’ve borrowed their superpowers, which you really had within you all along.

Overcome fear by getting into your body.

Fear, worry, and anxiety are just physical sensations. And guess what? They’re the same sensations you feel when you’re excited.

How do you feel when you jump off the platform at the start of a zipline?

It’s the same adrenaline rush you feel when you step up to the microphone in front of a large audience, head out on your first date with someone new, or open your business on the first day.

When you’re getting overwhelmed with fear, just pay attention to what you’re physically feeling. This takes your mind off the anxiety and gets you back into the present.

You’ll immediately feel better, and you’ll do a better job at whatever you have to do.

Raise your energy by feeling excitement

Once you’re aware of the physical feelings, you can turn them into fuel.

Go back into your body, feel the tingling in your fingers, your racing heart, butterflies in your stomach or whatever it is you feel.

While you’re feeling these things, picture what success will look like. Imagine your happiness when you complete this challenge or solve the problem.

Connect your physical sensations with these new images. Tell yourself, “I’m excited to do this.”

Think of new ways to tackle the problem, new skills you can learn along the way, people you’ll meet, experiences you’ll have.

Depending on what works best for you, picture these things vividly, or tell yourself about them in detail, or hear the cheers, laughter, celebration and praise associated with a successful adventure. Feel the excitement around these images.

Tool of the Week: Reframe Your Problem

The brain loves symbols. Imagine your problem is a mountain you need to climb, a river you have to cross, or a monster you need to fight

1. Focus your attention to the physical sensations in your body

2. Connect the physical sensations of fear/anxiety with images of excitement and success

3. Pretend you are the person who would handle this problem with power, skill, and confidence. Do what they would do, and you’ll get the results they would get.