Is it Really Procrastination?

I’m a member of Steve Pavlina’s Conscious Growth Club and one of our monthly challenges was Overcoming Procrastination where we made a daily list of activities that would help us achieve goals we’d been procrastinating on. We then posted on the forums every day on our accomplishments or ticked a check off on a group google docs that we did it that day or not. Everyone was supportive, sharing helpful ideas and cheering each other on. It’s extremely helpful in keeping you motivated and accountable.

I remember years ago I joined a vegan raw challenge group and was astounded by how the extra social support, team effort, knowing that we were all trying together kept me on track more than anything else I’d tried before. I kept thinking if everyone else is able to do this then I can too!

I wrote this during the challenge which was June 2019…

I’ve been able to keep up with the challenge better than I have before which caused me to examine why is it easier this time? It’s really simple, I have more time. I have more energy because I’ve been working less. I have the least responsibilities I’ve had in many many years. I have the most solitude I’ve ever had in my life.

Could it be that when we think we’re procrastinating, we’re just too overwhelmed and tired to do anything more? Maybe what we really need is a life reboot, making space, simplifying, being gentler and kinder with ourselves. Maybe we keep putting things off because we need more down time to just be still for a while. Then when there’s more space, suddenly it’s easy to get things done.

Also maybe the things that we procrastinate on are the wrong things for us to be spending time doing? Maybe they don’t even need to be done? or maybe it’d be better if we just delegated those things we procrastinate on?

I’m listening to a book called The Power of Habit by Charles Duhigg right now and I just listened to Jack Canfield The Success Principles 10th Anniversary Edition and The Ultimate Brian Tracy Library. All of this in tandem is helping me stay focused on my goals, so I’m progressing nicely! Listening to motivating audio helps me overcome procrastination too!

So far The Power of Habit is fascinating. I’ve used some of the methods mentioned to create new habits without knowing I was doing things that made it easier to change my habits, guess I intuitively did it.

The major theme that’s mentioned in the book so far is that of believing in something bigger than ourselves. Our success in maintaining our healthier habits depends on our belief in something more than we are just these biological beings who are born, live briefly, then poof we’re gone.

There’s all this science and studies of neurology and behavior, but the thing that’s most important isn’t able to be studied because it’s not physical, it’s of mind and spirit. It’s of love, support, connection, caring and love from our fellow humans and the energy of love that supports everything. The belief that this isn’t all there is, that there is an intelligent, loving force running the show helps us let go enough so that we befriend ourselves and one another instead of resisting and resorting back to the habits that we’ve used to escape. Instead of escaping we connect, share and help one another and believe that we are gonna be okay no matter what, because there’s a loving force, that this isn’t all there is.

I believe that our modern life is overwhelming and unnatural for us, which causes us to procrastinate. Our way of life has changed so rapidly and drastically that our biological, societal evolution is not able to adapt quickly enough. I believe that’s why there’s so much anxiety and depression. The fear we are exposed to through media is not helping either.

Look at Okinawans and how they live. I watched the documentary Happy and the Okinawan way of life was featured. What if we practiced more love and connection like they do? It made me wish that I could visit there, especially because part of my family originated there. Maybe one day!

So maybe it’s not really procrastination. Maybe it’s us trying to make ourselves do too much and not enough Happy time 🙂

As I’ve grown older the more I realize, the most valuable things in life don’t involve procrastination. If you’re procrastinating, then maybe what you’re trying to accomplish isn’t really meaningful or valuable?

Procrastination may be an indication that a vacation is in order, lol! 😀

What do y’all think? ?