“A year from now you may wish you had started today.” ~Karen Lamb
It is natural to procrastinate even though we know in our heart that there is no reason to wait. We grant more power to our limiting stories than to the part of us that simply says It’s time.
I am guessing every person reading this has a decision they have been hemming and hawing on. Perhaps it is leaving a job or relationship, expressing your feelings or concerns, starting a creative project, moving to a new location, or starting a new career path. The decision may be small or perhaps it is large. And maybe it is a small decision but it feels large. Small or large we face these decisions regularly, yet why don’t we act?
7 Blocks
- Discomfort: Often what comes with making new choices is a feeling of discomfort. Because we are creatures of comfort we will do our best to avoid feeling uncomfortable. However, what we fail to ask ourselves is, How uncomfortable am I feeling by not acting?
- Familiarity: We get used to the status quo. Its predictable nature gives us a false sense of security. So any trip into uncertainty can feel scary and overwhelming.
- Our Story: We make up all the “sound” reasons why we should not act. It’s not time yet. I need the money. I can’t do it. I need more information / experience. We grant greater power to our story than our heart.
- All or Nothing: Procrastination often occurs because we feel we have to tackle the whole situation versus a piece. Seeing only the mountain and not the first step can cause us to feel overwhelmed and keep us stuck.
- Bound by Logic: Humans tend to listen far more to logical reasoning than intuition. As such, we are bound by past experience and our five senses. We say things like, “But that’s the way we’ve always done it.” We can’t see outside the box and are bound by its limits.
- Fear of Our Power: In her book A Return to Love, Marianne Williamson wrote, “Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure.” We fear owning the fullness of who we are. We fear our brilliance!
- Fear of Truly Living: It has been said that living a fulfilling life is a radical act. There is an audacity or boldness that comes with leaving the flock to venture into the wilderness of your heart. Why me? we ask. Why not?!
“It takes a lot of courage to release the familiar and seemingly secure, to embrace the new. But there is no real security in what is no longer meaningful. There is more security in the adventurous and exciting for in movement there is life, and in change there is power.” ~Alan Cohen
7 Tips
- Notice Stress Signals: Notice when you are feeling stress or experiencing a drain in energy. Chances are there is a decision you are circumventing. Let stress be a signal for change.
- Watch Thoughts: I saw a bumper sticker the other day that said, “Don’t believe everything you think.” Make it a regular practice to watch your thoughts. Get to know them intimately. You will discover how much of a storyteller you are.
- Discern Beliefs: When you notice yourself delaying something that is important, write down all the reasons why you feel you need to wait. Then ask yourself, Which reasons (beliefs) are real and which ones are fictional?
- Baby Steps: Choose baby steps instead of thinking you have to tackle the whole situation at once. Ask yourself, What small step could I take today? As Confucius said, “The man who moves a mountain begins by carrying away small stones.”
- Live Intuitively: Learn to trust and act upon your intuition. Let it be the governing principle, the inner compass, that directs your life. Logic is meant to support intuition; left on its own, logic will limit us tremendously. Here are 22 Keys to Intuitive Living.
- Personal Growth & Self-Care: Whether it is meditation, journaling, yoga, or hiring a coach, therapist or healer, taking time to quiet the mind and connect to your Self is essential for healthy and productive decision making.
- Remember Your Natural State: Joy and Abundance are your natural state. To live anything else is to deny who you are and the natural impulse of life. Therefore trust that life will carry you downstream if you allow it to. Your job is to turn your boat around. Your job is to say Yes to Life!
Your life is waiting for you. Now is the time to step into it. The more you lean into life, the more life will lean into you.
* * *
Related reading:
8 Keys to Self-Care
Feel What You Want Tomorrow, Today
22 Keys to Intuitive Living
Related Training:
Remembering to Play ~ Inspiring Joy, Freedom & Self-Care
Leadership from the Inside Out ~ Opportunity to Learn, Safe to Be Reflective, Empowered to Take Action
Keynote Information