8.11.2009

Procrastination = Fear

This weekend I finally did some tasks that I had been procrastinating about for a few weeks. What a relief. And in fact, I got a lot of other things done once these small but scary things were out of the way.

I wonder, how much energy would I release if I no longer put off doing the things I dread? If I could stop fearing them because they were already done, for better or worse? Because most of the things I'm afraid of are not fatal, not even really physically painful, just new and anxiety-provoking.

In much of my life, I prefer the planning part to the executing part. I'm really good at elaborate plans and charts and lists and diagrams. I'm a little afraid of the doing part, and especially of finishing. Afraid that I won't actually be good enough, that everyone will find out what a fraud I actually am, that really I don't know what I'm doing, etc., etc.

In what ways do I not trust myself?

How can my faith in God help me to learn to trust that I will be all right?

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2 Comments:

Anonymous Eileen Flanagan said...

I think you make great observations here, and I love your closing question. For myself, I've found that sometimes observing that I'm procrastination can be helpful in discernment. Sometimes I put off something I'm really meant to do but fear, while other times I put off what I know deep down I am not really meant to do, or what I'm not ready for yet. Rather than judging ourselves, I think it can be helpful to observe our own behavior and then try to sense what is motivating it.

8/11/2009 10:14 AM  
Blogger Robin M. said...

Thanks, Eileen. Guess you're the expert now on The Wisdom to Know the Difference? :-) (If anyone hasn't heard of Eileen's new book, I suggest you visit her website! I'm teasing here, but really she wrote a whole book about the subject.)

I know what you mean though, occasionally I've had the experience of putting something off until it seems obvious that I wasn't meant to do it, but usually I think I'm just good at justifying my own procrastination.

8/12/2009 12:47 AM  

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