Putting Things Off Will Only Slow You Down

There’s alot to plan. Where do you want to be in a few years? How do you get there? We can plan plan plan, deciding on what actions to take and what to avoid doing. But here’s the thing – there’s often no right way of getting there either. It’s all about getting your ducks in a row and things will slot into place. But what if you have too many ducks to organise? The more we move, the more things we take on the journey. And over time the small day-to-day things that we accumulate can hinder us if we don’t address them. Putting Things Off Will Only Slow You Down..Take the plunge and get things done!

Have you been putting off something? And no matter how much you put it to the back of your mind, it just keeps popping up?

Maybe you’re hesitating about doing something – it could feel so insignificant, like a little job that makes you bored just thinking of it..

Start creating flow NOT resistance…

This is the time to get it done and shift your energy. Just bite the bullet and do it before it’s too late.

My Headspace

I have so many little tasks that stay on my mind – pay tax over previous years, schedule the dentist, get my book edited, get in touch with a mortgage broker…the list goes on. I find these mundane and ‘life admin’ jobs fill me with dread, and I keep stalling.

With these life admin tasks, we tend to wait for something to really push us until we take action.

Do you wait until the last cut-off date before doing your taxes? Waiting for that deadline to push you into panic in order to get anything done.

But what if you don’t ‘have’ to get something done. Then it falls down the list of urgent tasks, and may keep falling down that list as time moves on. Instead of prioritising it, you may just keep it in your mental load – which never really disappears from your thoughts.

So for me – I’ve bit the bullet.

My Action

My next book is to be out in the summer and it had been on my mind to get a professional editor to go over my work. I had been recommended an editor from a few fellow authors, and felt comfortable with her. But investing in a book editor is quite daunting.

So I had put it off. And I released another book without professional editing work…

Then my confidence in my own edits wavered so much that I decided I would make the money specifically – I’d sell my car and that money would go towards it.

And it happened, I did sell my car – so I needed to fulfill the promise I had made to myself. There was no more running away, if I wanted to be taken seriously as a writer, then I need to put my money where my mouth is.

I booked my new editor in advance. She will begin edits in March, which leaves me needing to edit my book before I give it to her. So I’m under the pump, and I did this to myself! Which I needed to do as no one else could light that fire under me. If I didn’t book her in, I’d be cruising for months on end without any notion of what I’m doing.

Are You Avoiding Something Too?

Like me have you been putting something off? Perhaps you’ve been putting off your driving test. Have you been making excuses for not driving? You live in a city, you don’t have enough money for a car, you’ve failed your test already?

Or are you resisting taking your creativity to the next level? Maybe you’re reluctant to do any paid work? Or you find yourself giving discounts to clients because you feel uncomfortable about accepting money?

Why Might You Be Avoiding Something?

What it is you’re avoiding exactly? Are you not wanting to fail at something? For me, I didn’t want to spend the money on myself…because I did not think I was worth it. Seriously. So I waited…remaining stuck with no real intention of moving forward.

You may have an ‘ah-ha’ moment to see what is causing resistance. What are you reluctant to do? Why you’re not doing it? Is there fear behind it?

Start small

For the next few weeks, if you’re not aware of what’s niggling at you then keep a small notebook handy so when you get a thought – “I’ve been meaning to approach that gallery about stocking my work“…jot it down before it’s gone from your memory. You’ll begin to see what is lurking underneath and what you should take action on.

Don’t get caught up in doing too much. Try one thing first and see it till the end. Only then will you realise how things free up, and that mental load you dedicated to such small things is released. You can create more flow instead of resistance. So call up that energy company, schedule that dentist – do whatever it may be and you’ll feel that flow again.

WHAT ABOUT YOU?

Do you keep putting things off? Have you taken small steps to overcome them?

If you enjoyed this, have a look at my previous posts such as – My morning routine – how it’s important for my positive mindset

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