In This Episode…
Yesterday’s post has got me thinking deeply about why I seem to struggle with moving things forward. Today I come up with a couple of thoughts about that.
I really do wish this stuff was easier.
Episode Show Notes…
You Only Appreciate A System When You Don’t Use It
One of the things I have done with this podcast is to take a more structured approach with gathering my thoughts during the day. At the start of the day I open up a template document and then gather my thoughts as the day unfolds. That document then forms the text that will go on the blog post for the episode.
Well this morning I didn’t set one up. I went straight into my LInkedIn activities and then had a 2 hour rehearsal for my masterclass tomorrow. The afternoon was spent working on what came out of the rehearsal.
And so I find myself at the end of the day gathering the thoughts as I reflect back on the day, not while it is happening. As I am tired at the end of a draining day, the last thing I really want to do is think that hard about what i’ve done.
But here I am.
Is It About My Identity?
I’ve been reflecting on my pondering in yesterdays episode about whether I am doing enough. I often wonder whether I am in my own little reality that is somewhat divorced from the world around me. I do tend to get a little introspective now and again and can lost the bigger picture.
Questioning myself yesterday given the day I had continued into the evening and even this morning. I wonder whether I am working on the wrong thing.
Sure I am trying to change my behaviours but is that the right place to start.
The reason I say that is because one of the tasks I am putting off is sorting out the paperwork for my final year accounts.
This task has been the bane of my life for years. Last year I thought I dealt with it. I even think I did a few episodes on the struggle I faced. But clearly not because I am back here again
So it got me thinking about whether I am working on the right things and at the right level.
And then it occurred to me that I am probably being true to my identity right now – that of someone who puts off dealing with this important paperwork. It’s been a repeated pattern of behaviour for years. So perhaps it’s not a behaviour thing, it is an identity thing.
Something to think about.
Anatomy Of A Procrastination Experience
I think it is sometimes good to reflect on how I actually feel when I am putting something off. Today I had a technical task to deal with. It had to get sorted ahead of my masterclass tomorrow. When I applied myself to it this afternoon, I had a huge resistance.
I also had feelings of agitation that I had to deal with it. And there was something about not really wanting to commit to the task.
It was as though there might be something out of sight just round the corner that could unexpectedly pop up that might require my attention. That possibility seemed be sufficient enough for me NOT to do the task.
Well at least it was until I decided to power through the resistance and make it my sole focus.
Unsurprisingly, the task got done and IMHO quite well too.
I think I need to man up more often.
Should I Be In Training?
I was pondering today (I am doing a lot of that at the moment) that my journey isn’t just a search for great ideas and strategies to apply. It is also about training myself to not only apply them, but to experiment and digest them and then create applicable behaviours from that knowledge.
Sometimes things will go well, other times not. But I have to see it as a growth process. I am going to get better. Therefore I MUST be in training.
