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Thoughts on Procrastination

url I’m actually writing this blog post to procrastinate on doing other things.

Procrastination is a hard one.

Someone said/wrote that procrastination is a deeper-seated fear of failure. This fear is rampant in our culture, falling short only to public speaking, death (and possibly taxes) as #1. While we can’t provide a golden fix for procrastination, we can begin to dissipate this big, hairy beast, piece by piece…

…And know that our discomfort is not forever. Here’s how I deal:

  • I start by making a list of everything I need to do (for the day, week, month, etc.)
  • I then categorize and prioritize
  • Usually, I go for low hanging fruit first (don’t want it “hanging” over me while I try to do the harder things)
  • My best work gets done when I devote a solid hour with zero distractions. This means I’ve used the restroom, finished my tea/snack, responded to important emails, and of course checked Facebook and Twitter one last time.
  • I applaud baby steps/milestones, and take breaks when they’re needed (usually after the first hour).

How do you release your want to procrastinate? What practices keep you “on track?”

Thanks, and Happy Monday! 🙂

Namaste, CJP


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Conscious Quote

einstein

“There are two ways to live your life: One is as though nothing is a miracle. The other is as though everything is a miracle.”

– Albert Einstein


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FYI Friday, May 17: Week in Review

LIFE

Stash-Shorts1 Keep Your Gadgets Dry With These Waterproof Shorts

Many of us protect our gadgets from clumsy falls and nicks with protective cases. But when your precious smartphone gets wet from the elements or from an unfortunate drop down the toilet, sometimes there’s no going back. Salt Lake City-based Stash Incorporated has designed waterproof pocket shorts that are designed to keep your phone and other pocket items dry. It could be convenient for those summertime activities: relaxing at the beach, a trip to the water park or for mindlessly running through the sprinklers. FULL ARTICLE.

ENVIRONMENT

imgres-1 People Can Actually Afford “That Expensive Electric Car”

You know the Tesla Model S, the $70,000 (and-up) electric car that “nobody can afford”? Well, evidently, more than a few people can afford it. In fact, in the first quarter of this year, more people bought a Tesla Model S than bought any of the similarly priced gasoline-powered cars from the top three German luxury brands, according to data from LMC Automotive. About 4,750 buyers bought a Model S while just over 3,000 people bought Mercedes’ top-level sedan. FULL ARTICLE.

HEALTH

chefWhy It’s Important to Cook Your Own Meals

When was the last time you made a great meal? From-scratch prep, serious gratification result. This morning? Last week? Last month? Although I imagine Primal folks cook much more often than most non-Primal types, we all get caught up in the busyness of life. Eating – even healthy eating – often gets boiled down to convenience and strategy. I get it. Few of us have the luxury of basking in culinary ventures at every meal (myself included), but I do find real cooking to be an underappreciated indulgence – and there’s the rub. FULL ARTICLE.

FOOD

mayrecipes-sm.jpg.662x0_q100_crop-scale 15 Easy recipes for eating local and vegetarian in May

Eating healthful meals during busy weekdays can be as easy as throwing a few in-season ingredients into a casserole dish and putting it in the oven. We’ve gathered 10 great late-Spring recipes from soups and sautés, from salads to breads. Enjoy! FULL ARTICLE.


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Conscious Quote

imgres

“All successful people men and women are big dreamers. They imagine what their future could be, ideal in every respect, and then they work every day toward their distant vision, that goal or purpose.”

-Brian Tracy


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Something to Ponder…(or, Tick & Flow)

You probably don’t even have time to read this post. Given all the things you have to do today, (the big priorities, the mundane minutia, etc.) this 2-minute brain break is probably welcome, but also rushed.

“There’s just not enough time.” As a 2013 culture, we are always on the go. Even when we’re “relaxing,” there is always a good chance we are still mentally “going” long before we actually unwind. For many professionals, the key perceived scarcity is time.

Time is certainly valuable. But when we schedule a thousand things, when we cram so much in, attempting to make the best of our time, a lot of that value falls though the cracks.

We end up missing out…big time (no pun).

Luckily, we have something for you to consider as a solution…

Tick & Flow. Scheduling &  Synchronicity. Head-Time & Heart-Time. Coming from the Greek concepts of  “chronos” (calendar/clock time) and “kairos” (synchronous/the “right” time), these two measurements of time are each very important. Both practices are essential for gleaning the full value of our time that we have. The problem isn’t that we aren’t doing enough…

…it’s that we’re doing too much.

And, too much stuff that we not only don’t want to do, but also stuff that doesn’t actually serve us anyway. With this kind of imbalance, we burn out. It’s overwhelming; too much “Tick,” not enough “Flow.”

When we take time to check-in with ourselves, and realize the options we have moment to moment, life simply gets…better! Whether it’s a meditation/yoga practice, eating a slow and mindful meal, or simply practicing deep breathing, “Flow” practice can come in multiple forms. And we get to choose what works best for us.

We invite you to allow space for this type of quality time with yourself. The goals are: 1. to quiet your many thoughts (or, as the Yogis call it “monkey mind”) and 2.

…simply be.

Try it! You may be happily surprised with the results. 🙂

Namaste.

–@cjpatryck

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