It doesn’t matter if I want to do the thing or not…I still procrastinate. Procrastination often occurs when I’m tired and the activity takes some mental energy.
For example, I’m supposed to edit a post about..procrastination…for our Sidetracked Sisters blog…
I love taking pictures, looking at old photos, creating images using software, and posting on social media. But I still procrastinate!
AND my procrastination strategies are SOOOOO sneaky!
Current Events Junkie
I tell myself that I really need to know what’s going on in the world. I’m just going to sit at the computer and look at my news feed for a few minutes. You know, intelligent people are aware of and engage in the topics, controversies, and events of the day…right?!?
This, of course, leads down an absolute rabbit hole–it is currently mere days away from “mid-term elections” and the controversies, accusations, and intrigue fill my news feed.
Without intending it, minutes turn into an hour, and the time that I devoted to my writing is gone.
I’m So Hungry–Not
I have a couple of simple indulgences. I love kid’s cereal with milk like Cheerios, Frosted Flakes, or Lucky Charms. I never buy these cereals for myself, but I have others in the house who like these for a snack. So they are in my home, and available.
I also like to make sweet quesadillas. You take a raw tortilla and fry it on a pan with a little butter, cinnamon, and sugar. Then you roll it up. When it has cooled a bit, it is so yummy.
A Clean House is a Happy House
My last strategy to procrastinate is to clean. I vacuum the kitchen, clean the guest toilet, or start a load of laundry. This may sound like a good idea, but I am really just putting off doing something important and valuable by substituting another activity–a project that will expand into the space that I had planned for something else.
WHY?
Why do I, why do WE procrastinate? I would understand procrastination as a kid, as a student, or to avoid activities that I “have to do”. But I am the one who has set the goals, organized my schedule, and decided on my to-do list. Why do I self-sabotage?
I guess it’s all about my brain. I do believe that the mind is like…a toddler with a knife. Dangerous, unpredictable, and reliant on the adult to be the parent.
My brain wants to seek pleasure, avoid pain, and expend the least amount of effort as necessary. These wants were probably really beneficial for my ancient ancestors. But now, they kind of get in the way of me accomplishing my goals and this shows up in my life as “procrastination”.
So just as any parent, I need to get control–and train my brain–daily.
Toddlers with knives…
Who’s the grown-up here?
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