STOP STEALING YOUR OWN TIME

You know that urge to delay a big project or task you just don’t want to do? That lurking to-do in the back of your mind that feels so heavy and so overwhelming? 

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Our brains tell us we don’t know how to get started or that we don’t have the time.  And we shift our time and energy to something more tangible, more immediate.  We’ll change a load of laundry, manage our schedule, or respond to emails.  We’ll think “I might as well get something off my plate”. 

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And after, we feel more productive. 

 

Accomplished. 

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We experience a brief reprieve from our worry of not knowing how. From our fear of doing it wrong or our dread of how much time and energy it’s going to take. 

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But the reality is that when we’re done with our procrastinating, we still have to do the thing.  Despite avoiding it and all the negative feelings that come with it, it is still there, lurking. 

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Our to-do lists will never be fully checked off.  Our seemingly productive tasks are only keeping us in a cycle of overwhelm.  We’re stealing our own time. 

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If you’re ready to break the cycle, here are some quick tips to get started.

1) Notice. Pay attention to that pull to knock something off the list or that voice that says you don’t have enough time for the big thing right now. 

2) Show compassion.  Pause and acknowledge that part of you that is trying to keep you from failing. The part of you trying to keep you safe. 

3) Do it anyway.  Use the 10 minutes you have on the big daunting task.  See how far you can get. Chip away at it.  Don’t judge your work or your approach.  You can fix that later. 

 

Just start.  You’ll be surprised at how much you can accomplish in those tiny pockets of time.