It's a morning like every morning. Your eyes flutter open and gaze around aimlessly like the little ball shaped bastards that they are. The room is a mess, much like your head. Like mine too. The anxious feeling sets in your chest and you're barely even awake yet. Your to do list begins to flood your brain. Your thoughts begin to race.  It’s hard to decipher any of them really. They blur together like a jumbled mess inside your head.

You lay there. Frozen with anxiety. Doing nothing. 

What if I told you, that you don't have to accomplish everything today? What if I told you, there's a way to get motivated?

What if I told you, you don't have to clean the whole bedroom? What if instead, you  simply pick up 13 things in your bedroom and return them to their place?

I'll say it again for those that need to hear it. You don’t have to do everything in a day and for fucks sake, you don't have to do it perfectly. Life is messy anyway. Have you seen birth? Yikes. Anyway. To begin your day, start with 13.

Just 13 things.

The idea is to get the motivation flowing. Once you get going, it's interesting to see what all you can accomplish in a day. 

In the beginning you simply return 13 things to their right place. Write them down and give yourself a check for each. 

Notice how you feel after you've checked off those few things on the list?

Do this for a week. The following week, up the list a bit. Like this. 

Thing 1. Put your feet on the floor. This counts. Do it. Put them on the floor now.

Now write it down, Yes write it. I know it's stupid, just do it.  Now, give yourself a checkmark next to it. Doesn't that look nice? 

Step 2 Stay out of bed. Easier said than done, right?

Step 3 Hang a shirt. Just one.

Step 4 Throw something away. Something big, something small. Anything. 

Step 5 Wash a dish. That’s right just one. 

Step 6 Take a shower. Let's face it, depression is a bitch and sometimes we need this reminder.  

Check them off one by one as you do them, but for fucks sake keep them simple. 

For the next few days, your list should look the same.

If you find yourself wanting to keep going beyond your list, just let it happen. It's not a bad thing. 

Sometimes my own lists, looked a little like this.

Step 1. Put you feet on floor

Step 2. Wash 13 dishes

Step 3. Hang 13 clothes

Step 4. Write 13 sentences of your book

Step 5. Pick up 13 things and return them to their place

Step 6. Wash 13 pieces of clothes

Step 7. Wash your hair you dirty ho

Step 8. Tweeze your eyebrows. You look ridiculous.

Step 9. Shave your legs. You could clothe America with all that leg hair. 

Step 10. Respond to 13 messages

Step 11. Wash your face

Step 12. Make dinner

Step 13. Talk about SeaPaints.com in 13 groups

 When I really started to notice a difference in my home and my mental health, was when my to do lists started to look like this.The sense of accomplishment skyrocketed my motivation, producing a noticeable difference in my productivity and over all well being.  

Today, it's the number one tool in my pocket that helps me with ADHD, Depression, PMDD, and Anxiety. Initially, I'd often start with the easiest thing on the list and freely bounce around until the list was completed. Each morning I committed myself to those 13 simple things. It became my routine. I affectionately named it 13 Therapy.

It seemed fitting at least. 

Want to try it with me?

Let’s try a little exercise. 

Quit thinking or keep thinking. It doesn’t really matter. Actually . Ignore your thoughts much like you would a stranger on the street. Let them pass by you without judgement. This is the perfect exercise when you're anxious because it's a glorious fucking distraction. 

When doing this routine, keep in mind it's ok to move from room to room but concentrating in one room will give you the illusion of greater productivity. 

Hint: You want this. Why? Performing the routine this way will give you the illusion of mass productivity and accomplishment which will then in return, activate your dopamine. This pleasure system in our brains is where we derive motivation as well many other feel good hormones. Make sure to give yourself a check on the list for  each and every task completed, regardless of how big or small it is. If you prefer, you can simply cross them off the list. 

The beauty of this, is a sense of accomplishment which is the secret to releasing your inner motivation. 

If you’re feeling motivated after getting the first list is done, it's ok to start another one.

As your confidence improves, put harder things on your to do list, working them in with the easy ones, little by little.

After a few weeks, get back to me. I'd love to hear if it helped you like it has me. Slowly but surely, I've rewired my brain a bit. Try it. What do you have to lose anyway? It's free. 

Last on the list but the ABSOLUTE MOST IMPORTANT, forgive yourself for the things you didn’t get to. You're enough. you do enough, and you're loved far more than you know.

Thanks for coming to my TED talk. I hope you get unfucked soon. I love you.