Procrastination by Any Other Name

Dithering, stalling, hesitation, vacillation, humming and hawing, dilly-dallying, shilly-shallying, delay, crawl

Too Busy or Too Many Excuses

Well folks, it’s been quite a while since my last post. I could give you a whole whack of reasons why, and some of them are pretty good ones. Summer is my busy time at work, hubby had weekends off, I didn’t have anything worthwhile to post and the list goes on. The bottom line is though, I did not make it a priority. Thus we have the topic for the blog!

I lost sight of why I started the blog in the first place and therefore did not set aside the time to work on it. I find it kind of overwhelms me because I always want to “git ‘er done” in one sitting (at least the draft), so I don’t lose my train of thought. Unfortunately, that means it’s difficult for me to block that amount of time. So what to do? I have to learn to sketch it out and fill in the colour later. The goal is the article, not how fast I wrote it, right? What about the project you want to tackle? When I was an educational assistant one of the strategies I used was to set the student up for success. What does that look like for me? What about you?

There are always conflicting priorities. Some are real and have a legitimate claim to our time. Others can be put aside, or done at the same time. Let’s face it, Looking after bills and housework and vehicles…oh my! I have to ask myself which ones can wait a little or run in the background. It’s amazing how important cleaning my house becomes! (I just pulled that little stunt a couple minutes ago.) TV can be a real time stealer and we all know scrolling through the news and social media use up time never to be recovered.

We all need a little JOY

Many years ago, Hubby shared with me something he had read. It was pure gold and runs completely contrary the today’s popular philosophies. What was it? JOY – Jesus first, Others second, Yourself last. I wish I could say I followed this all the time, but when I remember, it makes my day very fulfilling and productive. During the workweek it usually gets divided into three chunks. For example, devotions before I go to work (J), work (O), and relaxing before bed (Y). This has to be loose, to a certain degree, otherwise it becomes one more thing I have to get right and check off. Once it became a habit, it just became natural. On days like today, when I am home alone, I make smaller chunks and put it on repeat. Maybe I will read a devotional book chapter (J), then do some housework (O/Y), then do something important to me or a hobby over a course of an hour or two, then I do a variation of it again.

Self Care

And finally, being tired. Self care is important. A tired mind doesn’t produce good results. In my case, the demands of my job change with the construction season, so I have to work on my blog on the weekends as the brain cells are pretty logy by quitting time during the week. I have a thyroid condition too, so I need more sleep than the average bear and it is important that I get fresh air and exercise to maintain a positive attitude. I need to figure out the time that works best for me. What works best for you?

Making a Mountain Out of a Hill

I enjoy writing… once I sit down and start. Those who are in my circle know that I have no shortage or opinions on a myriad of topics. So what’s so hard about it? Well, for one thing, I want this blog to have the best of those thoughts. I think you who take the time to read what I have written deserve to walk away thinking better than “That’s five minutes of my life I’ll never get back!” On the other hand, it’s very easy to hide behind that. Sure, polishing and honing takes time, but it’s a labour of love. And, amazingly, once I actually open up the blank page, the ideas show up. So point one, today – get a move on! The journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step!

Too Little Too Late

There are so many reasons to make excuses for hesitating when we want to do something important. With my blog, I doubt that what I say is of value as I am not an expert in any field of psychology, sociology, or any other -ology. What makes me think I have something of value to put out into the universe? I tell myself what I would tell any of you. The experiences we have, good or bad, all have great worth, when we can use them to help someone else in. their journey. If I hesitate, I may miss the moment to speak hope into someone’s life. Point two, today, lose no time. Be a ripple in your pond, every chance you get! A positive action is never too little!

To Shilly-Shally or Not Shilly-Shally

I admit it. I have hard time acting decisively. I can make decisions fairly quickly, 100 percent sold. But then the doubts come. Do I have enough knowledge, education, experience, skills for whatever it is. Well, to be honest, most of us probably have enough to get by, but the good news in most of us are probably quite capable of learning and honing new skills.

Age is not a barrier, so you of the, um, more mature set, cannot pass that one by me. I have a cousin in his 80’s who is always trying something new – art, music, building sail boats, reading books full of history and ideas. He inspires me as he really is something of a renaissances man. (Yes, I know I am a woman, but what’s that got to do with it). He probably has doubts, but you wouldn’t know it.

Your young and lack experience? Than find a mentor! I am not exactly young anymore but I found a mentor. He’s helped me find a way to be creative and invest in people? I knew absolutely zero about blogging and setting up websites. He has pointed me in the direction and helped me find the tools to get started! Thank you Colin!

Point three, then is pick a direction and go! Find the tools you need, seek advice, learn along the way, and don’t be put off by the detours. We all have them. It’s whether we decide that the journey is worth it or too difficult that defines whether we will arrive at our destination.

Now to follow some of my own advice!

Don’t forget to let me know your thoughts! Leave me a comment!

Have an amazing New Year!