40 Days of Giving Up: Day One - Procrastination

So this is the blog entry that almost didn't happen...well at least not until much later.  Of course I was succumbing to the theme of today's missive: procrastination.  So as the Nike ad goes, "just do it".  I am.

I woke up at 3:45am this morning.  My mind was racing.  I was all enthused about beginning to write this blog.  Ideas were free-floating through my mind.  I reached for my smart phone to make notes in an email to send to myself.  It was so lucid.  Now, hours later, after some more sleep, I find myself thinking about putting it off.  Enough!  Here goes.

Getting started is the most difficult part of anything I do.  Sticking with it until the end is second.  If I just get to it, I really feel much better.  If I carry on through the task at hand, I always feel so much better.  Progress of any kind on any project always feels good.  Yet, when I try to remember those good feelings, I still am inclined to stop and do something else.  Check Facebook, email, eat something, take a nap, etc.  Procrastination is an addiction...or is it?   I am not really sure.  But I do intend to break the happen.  No, don't intend.  I am breaking the habit.  Here and now.  I hereby declare I am no longer a procratinator!   (I know there are those of you who will remind me of this declaration and I know I will rue the day...for a moment...I ever said anything.  But that is a choice I will no longer make.  I will choose to say thank you for the reminder...and thank you for reminding me I said that, too).

Doing nothing is an action.  The action is the result of whatever I am feeling about the task.  Who will care if I work on my writing works in progress?  Who will notice if I don't go photoshooting?  Who will be concerned if I don't exercise, eat right, wash the dishes, do laundry?  Ultimately, it is all up to me.

A lot of the things I want to do, feel called to do, hear the voice of inspiration to do, I always think: I'm not good enough.  I don't have what it takes.  I fear failure.  I fear success.  I fear whatever.  And there you have the real reason to procrastinate.  Nothing ventured, nothing gained...but nothing risked either.

So that is why on this first day of Lent I am giving up procrastination.  I will do it.  Whatever "it" is.  I may not always succeed, but that is no reason to put of trying, to avoid doing.   Living in potential is a comfortable, safe place to be.  Living in actualization of that potential is living the dream, whatever that dream may be.  

I will write this blog every day on a specific thing I want to give up.  I will update on the things I have moved to give up as we go along.  I invite you to come along with me.  You can comment here, send me a private email, comment on Facebook or whatever you choose.  Or you can simply read the blogs and enjoy.  Be careful though, you might learn something.  I believe I am going to and I refuse to put it off!

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