Give Yourself a Pep Talk

We get plenty of support for big occasions, but what about everyday moments when we need to rally?

- BY Paula Skaggs and Josh Linden FROM THE BOOK TINY PEP TALKS

IT’S EASY TO find someone to give you a pep talk for life's biggest moments. Folks line up to tell you “You've got this!” before the big job interview or as you head out onto the field to make the game-winning kick at the Super Bowl. (You know, universal experiences.)

And then there's the other 99.999% of the time.

We've all needed a little extra push to get through mundane everyday obstacles—like when you're about to leave the house for a party where you don't know anyone or when you have to get that boring work thing done.

A reminder: You can do the hard things. But you can also do the regular things, the annoying things and the small things that somehow feel immensely overwhelming. So keep reading until you're ready to conquer the world—or at least until you're ready to hoist yourself off the couch.

You've got this.

For when it's terrible outside, but your dog needs to go

We hate to say it, friend, but you signed up for this.

There are lots of pets that don't need your supervision to relieve themselves. Cats pee in a box indoors. Horses are presumably already outside. And we're pretty sure snakes don't need to go anywhere special to take a leak (though it's not clear how they pee, and we refuse to learn, thank you very much).

But no, you had to have a dog, didn't you? And that means you're as committed to the cause as a veteran Postal Service worker—neither rain nor snow nor heat nor gloom of night will stop these canines from needing to go outside.

We all know what's going to happen. Ol' Fido is going to be so excited when you grab the leash. And then, when you open the door, he'll realize it's terrible out there. He'll look up at you with those big, watery eyes and wordlessly ask, “Us? Out there? Must we?” like it was your idea to go outside in the first place.