I don’t know about you but procrastination has to be one of the most frustrating behavior traits.
Think about it, you go to bed determined to wake up early and exercise. Only to find yourself hitting the snooze button multiple times leaving you only a few minutes to spare frantically brushing your teeth and throwing on something clean (at least you hope so).
So frustrating.
Or, you promise yourself that you will write that boring report or answer emails taunting you from your inbox. Only to find yourself surfing on-line sales or grabbing a midday snack.
I love this quote, “procrastination is like a credit card, lots of fun until you get the bill.”
Yassss. It feels good to avoid dreaded tasks until the task becomes so large, so big that they feel impossible.
Years go by and the accomplishments you wanted to achieve feel like a distant memory residing in the land of ‘shoulda, woulda, coulda.”
This is the realization I’ve been having. As days turn into weeks. And weeks morph into months, I’m disturbed by how quickly time flies. You too…right?!? I mean, we are weeks away from the holidays. (Sorry, about that).
So, what’s a normal, average person to do? We don’t have endless resources or assistants making life easier. We only have ourselves and the million things to do and those few things that we really want to do, those passions and desires of our heart.
I think I may have a solution.
DTNT
Do the next thing.
You want to run a marathon? Start by running a mile.
You want to go back to school? Enroll in a class.
Determine your end goal, then like a maze work backwards.
Perfectionism and unrealistic expectations produce procrastination.
Perfectionism and unrealistic expectations is the parents of procrastination.
Your desire for things to be just right, create a destructive pattern to your dreams, passions, and desires. Justin and I were married 5 years before we had kids. Somehow waiting for us to be ready to be parents. One day we realized that ship was not going to dock. We had to jump in the choppy, perilous waters of parenting and trust that we could raise a child.
If you wait for perfect conditions, you will watch your life pass you by. Instead, do the next thing. Don’t wait for you to be perfect or to be perfect, take a step towards your goals. Even if you mess up, especially if you mess up. Failure isn’t to be avoided but procrastination is.
Procrastination is the graveyard of your dreams.
Today, however small or seemingly insignificant do the next thing.
What if you start doing the next thing and then you tell your co-worker about it or a friend. I promise you, you’ll create change not only for yourself but those around you.
Let me know! How are you doing the next thing? Me? I’m working a little here and there on blogs, speaking engagements, and my book. Sure, I’d love to have more time, finish everything all at once. I’m working on thinking differently about the small things. Instead of minimizing them, I’m doing them. I admit, this isn’t my nature so it doesn’t come easy or consistently. But, I’m working on it. Little by little. Bit by bit.
Let’s do the next thing together.
Blessings to you,
Melissa
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