the best negotiator i know

I’m the best negotiator I know.

I realize that’s a bold statement from someone who hates arguing and was too scared to sign up for speech and debate in high school.

Let me rephrase: my MIND is the best negotiator I know.

Why, you ask? Because it can convince me NOT to do just about anything.

In fact, if there’s something important that I need to get done (a workout, a program, etc.), my mind suddenly elevates its game and becomes a world-class debater. It’s cunning, ingenious, and highly effective at getting me to choose inaction over (the necessary, obvious, right) action.

What’s especially devious is that my mind doesn’t just use 1 tool to accomplish this; its methods are varied. Procrastination (”I’ll just do it later”). Rationalization (”You need sleep! Just sleep in, that’s more important right now”). Negotiation on all fronts.

I mean, even when I started toying with the idea of doing this 100 articles in 100 weekdays pact, my mind immediately jumped in with reasons to NOT do it: fear of judgment, thoughts that it would be a waste of time, etc. The list goes on.

This ties in pretty well with the concept of Resistance (that nebulous force trying to stop you from doing the things that matter most, that Steven Pressfield talks about in The War of Art), because what’s happening here is my mind acting as the highest form of Resistance between me and my goals.

So how the hell are you supposed to do what you need to when even your own MIND is working against you??

By not negotiating. By shutting down any kind of internal dialogue. By simply doing.

Once you know what you need to do, once you have a plan in place (for instance, a workout scheduled for Tuesday morning that you have to do to stay on schedule and have a productive day), that plan is CEMENTED. The stock trading window has CLOSED; there is no more room for haggling.

There are lots of ways to deter any potential haggling, but one of my favorites is simply using Google calendar. I view my calendar as if it’s etched in stone; once something goes in the calendar for the next day, it’s locked in. Future Pat needs to trust that the version of Pat who created the calendar was thinking clearly and had his best interests in mind. No if’s, and’s or but’s.

It’s hard as f$%^ not to listen to that voice in your head talking you down from action, I won’t lie. And if you’re reading this, I’m sure you’ve felt it too.

But it’s necessary. And the more you do it, the more you commit to action without mental negotiation, the more “discipline” you’ll find you have, and the more successful you’ll be in the long run.

Here’s to being a non-negotiator.