As I write this post I’m all too aware of the countless times I’ve now moved the task of writing a blog post a week into the future in my calendar of items to action. I can come up with a number of all too familiar ways to justify the procrastination – some of them viable excuses – but now I must turn inward to ask myself, “what’s getting in the way of me doing this?”
This year, this is a question I’ve asked myself whenever something crops up that I’m hesitant or resistant to. It’s not only helped me overcome the hurdle or barrier to progress, it’s helped me to better know myself – how I think, what motivates me, what I need to get close to and confront for my continuous growth journey.
At times the answer has not been terribly exciting or productive. When something doesn’t stimulate my senses, or feels like a box-ticking task, it’s not hard to see why I might put it off until it absolutely must be done/a deadline is imminent. But I’m trying to move away from this time-pressure based way of doing so that I have a more mindful and purposeful way of being that isn’t reliant on an external force, like time.
Sometimes the answer brings me face-to-face with fears large and small; I’m reluctant, or shy away from things because they scare me. When this has been the case, I’ve taken a counter-phobic approach and thrown myself into the fear because I know these are some of the things that will bring the most personal growth. One of these moments is agreeing to MC an event (IndieConf 2019 in Melbourne) this year, something new for me but that, with the right encouragement and prep, I know I’ll benefit from doing because it scares me!
Self reflection on the things that get in the way of doing things, or ways of being (e.g. what’s getting in the way of calm, or courageous), has also been a practice of radical self awareness, confronting me with how I think of myself, where that comes from and why.
What helps you open the gates to progress, growth or opportunity in your life?