I am an expert procrastinator, a skill honed since my youth. If they gave blackbelts out for this trait, I’d be a 2nd degree. Not only do I sometimes delay tasks until the last possible moment, but I use creative avoidance in brilliant and defensible ways. Take my office cleaning project for example. My office was a train wreck. Did I need to clean it up, file papers, and throw stuff out so I didn’t trip on a book upon entering or exiting the tiny space? Yes. Necessity. Did I need to do an extensive redesign of the aesthetic, including hanging pictures, moving bulletin boards around, and redoing my vision board? Probably not.
The COVID-19 shutdown is impacting all of us differently. Many people I know, including myself, seem to have less time than before. And even if you have more time than you know what to do with, we all still need to prioritize and develop plans of action that not only identify procrastination but also provide meaningful and fulfilling uses of our time.
Creating meaningful and fulfilling uses of our time is something that seems to be popping up in many of my conversations. Priorities are shifting, clarity is increasing, and choices are becoming more conscious. These things are amazing and help us move forward in our lives because they clear away the mental clutter. So how do we harness the transformational power of this newfound clarity and consciousness? We ask ourselves questions and get curious about the answers.
· What is the best use of my time, RIGHT NOW?
· What has been on the backburner that I want to make a priority?
· What creative or interesting thing do I want to do that I haven’t made time for?
· How am I procrastinating in ways that are hindering my goals and purpose?
Back to my office…one answer to these four questions is “cleaning my office.” Turns out that cleaning my office had been something I was putting off AND something I used as a procrastination tool. I didn’t want to tackle the project because I knew it would take at least ten hours for me to sort, sift, and organize so I put it off. I also had books to read and really didn’t feel like being stationary for hours at a time so I started the cleaning. And I do have to say, it’s really nice to have a clean and organized office, even if it prevented me from finishing Canoeing the Mountains by my goal date. When I talk to my coach on Monday, the freshly clean office is going in the “win” column.
Stay curious friends!