Have you ever felt so swamped by things you know you must do that you don't even know where to begin? You have that person to call, that email to reply to, that proposal to write up, the bills to pay, the website you want to build, that course you intend to finish, that book for which you barely finish reading the first chapter, that attic you intend to clear out, the car damage (hopefully not) that you still to file a report for....and so forth. While these are just some basic examples, as you start to even list these things down, you already feel so overwhelmed and maybe...dread life a little! It does feel heavy on the chest, ain't it? So stop right there and take a deep breath. When this happens, we oftentimes find ourselves in such a state that we try to distract ourselves even more with other things. Gratifications, we call it. Maybe you will watch another series episode on Netflix, maybe you will play some games first, maybe you will lounge on the couch with a glossy magazine, maybe "I will do it tomorrow", you'd say...before you realize it, you are actually procrastinating! Instead of crossing off a few items each time, all things screech to a halt and we are doing naught. Relax, we have our days.
But, here's the thing. We have the tendency of wanting to do and complete everything relatively fast yet we get bogged down by the idea of exerting energy to accomplish them. We are lost in the grandeur of the ideal outcome we so desire and easily stressed or hung up by the required process to actually reach it. We have forgotten all about the greatness in moving the needle everyday - every progress, however small, counts. By having the awareness that we are dragging our feet with the laundry list of things that need to get done at one point, is a good start. This usually allows us to see clearly what actions must be taken and also at the same time, understanding the repercussions of not doing anything soon. We might not feel like it, but we will find a way to get things done. We just got to do the work, whatever it takes. Without awareness, we might still be able to reach the goals, but every effort feels gargantuan and you are merely pulling your weight. Chances are, you aren't going to enjoy the fruit of labor as much and might just miss a learning or two in the process. What we want is not only the ability to get things done but also to derive from it, a sense of satisfaction and new insights that continue to fuel our productivity.
If you think about it, it is always that first step which is the hardest. For instance, you might have been thinking about finishing that piece of artwork you started months ago. Then, the thoughts get in the way - you don't have time for it, work commitment makes it impossible, need to take care of your kids, weekend is out of question, or you still need to get the missing utensils. Since we can't get rid of the monkey mind, the only way to get to it, is to decide, in the moment, to do it. See, it is also a decision to not do something about it. Why not make a better decision? Once you make up your mind to do it, watch yourself proactively resolving every single obstacles that stand in your way with ease. Need to get that brush? You will drive up to the shop and get it. Workload is stopping you? You will block out time exclusively to make progress on it. What gets scheduled, gets done. Family needs your attention? You will learn when to say no and demand your alone time. Surprisingly enough, once you get yourself settled to continue from where you left off, you might just ask yourself why the heck have you made it so difficult to find the time for it in the first place. Everything that you seemed to create excuses from only cost a fraction of the time to resolve than what you gave credit for. Things start rolling, and you get another part of the artwork completed. That's the power of momentum.
However, it does not stop there. We have to act consistently to keep the momentum going before it diminishes only to find ourselves in the same spot again. As soon as a gap builds (days before intended completion), motivation may wither off and there goes the cycle. This is where discipline comes in - doing the work consistently despite not feeling like it. We need to keep building the muscles such that it does not feel like work and that we simply enjoy the unfolding of it by putting in small effort daily that brings us closer to the goal. One of the most common put-off that will disrupt our discipline though is the need to be perfect. For example, you want to perform all the research necessary before starting to draft that proposal. You won't launch your website until you get every little details right. You won't speak the foreign language until you achieve that level of fluency and master the grammar of it. Perfection is the enemy of execution. If you have to wait till you are ready to do something, you won't start. Haven't you noticed already that we will never be ready. Getting ready is in fact the peak of it. Just as we thought we are ready, we are never ready for its next level because it is our nature to always strive for more. Building the momentum is a way of life. We can have more if we just do the work in awareness and through inspired actions.
Now think about these for a moment:
What are things in your life have you been delaying from doing?
What stops you from making that decision and start from where you are?
Do you find challenging to create the momentum to get things done?
Let me know if I can be of any help. I am offering free one-to-one coaching from 5th to 9th October during when we can work together to identify and clear the roadblocks to get you going. If you need someone as your accountability partner, I am here for you. Go ahead and reserve your spot here. Similarly if you know anyone who might need the support, feel free to share this with them. Speak soon!
Comments