My brain has a habit of reminding me of tasks I need to accomplish at the most inconvenient times:

• in the shower
• while falling asleep
• driving the car

This morning it was, “You need to reply to Sophie’s email about…”

This is bad enough, but it’s the escalator ride that often follows after that really gets me.

Watch this:

• “You need to reply to Sophie’s email about…” (my brain steps onto the escalator)
  • It’s been days since she wrote you…
    • You never reply in a timely manner…
      • No matter how hard I try I can never reply in a timely manner…
        • I suck, life sucks. I can’t handle this.
          • I don’t want to do this anymore. (top of escalator)

WAIT! What? That’s crazy! Yet that is how quickly my brain can move from “here is something you should do” to “you are incapable, life is always awful, why are we still doing this anymore?”

I haven’t been able to stop my brain from jumping on the escalator but I have learned to challenge it. Oftentimes not till after I’m at the top of the escalator (all of those steps happen in the span of seconds), but then I do.

“Dave, what are you talking about? I can do this. Life doesn’t suck, I don’t suck. I do need to reply to that email and I’m not great at responding to emails in a timely manner BUT this definitely isn’t the end of the world” and so on.