What are the things that you have been putting off, avoiding, ignoring in hopes that somehow they will resolve themselves and you won’t ever have to deal with them? How’s that working for you?
If you are someone who procrastinates, it’s time. Time to face the reality that the project on your to-do list that you’ve been avoiding isn’t going to magically cross itself of your list. The reality is that you have two choices:
- Remove It From Your To-Do List — Ask yourself if it’s something that really needs to be done. Would having it done contribute to your health, well-being, or happiness or is it something that found its way onto your to-do list when you made a habit of busy-ness?
- Do It Now! — If it’s something that you definitely need to do, take action. If it’s a big project, first chunk it down into manageable pieces. But don’t delay any more. Do it now.
You will feel better when you take either of these steps. Why?
- Removing the item from your to-do list (whether you did the task or not), will help you feel lighter. It’s the to-do list equivalent of cleaning out your closet (or garage). Even if you don’t have a sense of accomplishment from having completed the task, you’ll have a sense of relief from not having to worry about it anymore. And as you discovered, it wasn’t really important anyhow. At least, not compared to other things vying for your energy and attention.
- When you take action, you’ll get a double benefit: (1) you’ll feel good about yourself for responsibly handling something that needs attention, and (2) you’ll feel good because making progress itself always makes us feel good. It’s the difference between walking out of a meeting feeling as though nothing was accomplished compared to leaving a meeting in which decisions were made and next steps were clear.
Now on to the next item on your to-do list!
Here’s hoping you avoid busy-ness and stay focus on the most important things!
