What lies behind us and what lies before us is a small matter compared to what lies within us.
If there is a universal negative habit, it is procrastination. There is no one I have met who at some point does not succumb to its deadening power. Recently, I realized just how costly a habit procrastination can be. No, I did not suffer some illness as a result of putting off a medical exam, or lose a big client for failure to follow through. My lesson was smaller and yet still powerful. I hired an organizer to assist me in cleaning up and clearing out my office. She spent about three hours with me, helping me make lists, eliminate mountains of paper and generally reorganize my surroundings. Now when I walk into my office, instead of feeling overwhelmed, I feel empowered. Did she have a magic wand? No, she used the power of the question “What is this? to make me realize how much stuff I was holding on to and holding on to me. What I discovered, or perhaps re-discovered, is procrastination at its core is simply a failure to decide. We delay making a decision about whether to attend a business networking event, so we hold onto the invitation in the hope somewhere between receipt and deadline we will have a lightning bolt moment of clarity about whether or not to attend. The lightning bolt never arrives. The same scenario is repeated day after day, decision after decision, until we are buried in the deadening pile of indecision. Delay I have found, is deadening. As I have enjoyed the burst of creative energy resulting from breaking the procrastination deadlock, I realize I cannot afford to allow it in my life. Yes, I am human and will likely continue to have periods where I forget my lesson and fall back into old patterns. When I look at what procrastination costs me in terms of energy, focus, clarity and momentum, I am confident the turnaround time will be much shorter. So what is it you have delayed deciding? How is procrastination robbing you in your life and business? How long will you continue to allow it to keep you from progressing toward your dreams and goals? Now is a great time to break the stranglehold of procrastination in whatever form it takes in your life. Make this week the week you decide and go into action. Get ready to enjoy feeling light, alive and ready to charge ahead in the direction of your dreams. Take the first step in faith. You do not need to see the whole staircase, just take the first step.
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AuthorMusings from Gammon Irons. To desire and strive to be of some service to the world, to aim at doing something which shall really increase the happiness and welfare and virtue of mankind - this is a choice which is possible for us all; and surely a good haven to sail. Archives
February 2020
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