If you’re not inspired to do “what you need to do,” then maybe forcing yourself to take action isn’t the right answer.
TRANSCRIPTION:
So here’s the truth about procrastination. And I’m sure you’ve heard all sorts of tips, right? How to motivate yourself, how to pump yourself up, how to optimize your schedule for maximum productivity. Or some people just say, look, procrastinate later. Get yourself to do what you have to do! And that’s cool, those are all useful approaches. But here’s the truth.
Procrastination is spiritual self-defense. Look, if you’re not feeling inspired to do the thing that you set out to do, then forcing yourself to do the thing isn’t always the right answer. If there’s something you know you should do so you can get to where you want to go, and yet you’re not absolutely inspired to go and do it, there’s a reason for that. And the reason is, quite simply, you’re not ready yet. And that’s OK. It’s OK to not be ready to do something.
In fact, forcing yourself to do something before it’s time is actually a little bit unhealthy. And so you’ve got this built-in guidance system, call it your intuition, call it your high self, call it your soul, call it God, whatever word you want to use, You hae this innate sense of what’s right for you right now. It’s like spiritual GPS. So if there’s an action that your brain is telling you I have to do it, but you’re not feeling inspired, here’s what you can do. Just stop, and allow yourself to think about the final outcome.
Allow yourself to imagine what it would be like to have this thing done. Go in your mind to the final picture, the final result, and notice how that feels. Also, double check that it’s actually your outcome. Maybe it’s somebody else’s outcome. Maybe you’re inspired by other people’s approaches, instead of finding what’s totally right for you. Look, there’s no one right way to succeed in this life.
You’re here as a creator, not a copycat. And so if you’re not feeling completely aligned, and completely inspired, and actually wanting to do the thing, it’s OK to pause. It’s OK to give yourself a few seconds, and just breathe, without stressing, without rushing, just get present. And it think you’ll find that a nice natural energy will begin to arise. And who knows, you might think of an even better idea. You might have another action show up, which is 10 times better than that original one.
But procrastination is spiritual self-defense. It’s your inner being’s way of saying just hold on. And it’s OK to listen to that. This is your life. Do it your way.