Welcome to “The Looking Glass”, a weekly newsletter of timeless wisdom for you to ponder on your journey of growth. I hope you find great value here.
#23 – 30 Sep 2022
Hello friend,
Thanks again for being here!
Here’s an insight, a question, and a quote I reflected on over the last week.
💡 Managing your procrastination
During the week, this statement from Leila Hormozi caught my attention:
“In most cases, the question shouldn’t be:
‘how do I manage my time?’
But rather:
‘How do I manage my PROCRASTINATION?’
The root cause of the issue is:
When we do things we don’t want to, our minds seem to wander.
And we lose focus.
As a result, we procrastinate.”
This got me thinking about some of my circumstances where I have maybe falsely blamed my long-standing “poor time-management skills” rather than unpacking why I am procrastinating in the first place.
Sure, if I am stuck in work I dislike, then I am slow to get moving on tasks. I can’t be bothered. So things take longer.
Then I beat myself up for falling behind, and I ended up hating that job.
Over time this becomes a vicious cycle of procrastination that makes us dread starting our work.
Then when we eventually start, we are so far behind that we have to rush through it and serve up a mediocre product. Soon we have fallen away from some of our core values, and no wonder we aren’t happy on the job.
It’s important to recognise this cycle of procrastination up front.
We think we are protecting ourselves, but it does not serve us.
And so we have two options:
- Suck it up, take action, and do the work before the loop of procrastination anxiety spirals out of control.
- Make changes to align our work to something we want to do.
❔ The next six months
I posted on Instagram this week asking what people:
What are you most proud of from the last 12 months?
I was reflecting on how we get caught up in the hustle of striving to a destination, and maybe, before we even realise it, suddenly, we are caught in a low patch.
We lose sight of what we were seeking in the first place and wonder if it is all worth it.
We wonder, “how did I get here? Isn’t this my dream I am chasing? Shouldn’t it be fun and exciting?”
I delved into how tapping into our sense of gratitude can help bring us back to an appreciative reality.
Sure, we might be in a temporary dip, but look how far we have come. We have learnt so much in the “X” months since we made this change. We are confident now in so many ways that we would have dreamed of only 1-3 years ago.
Or maybe something outside of work keeps your fire burning, even through those dark times.
I mentioned how my baby son brings a warm smile to my face whenever I think of him. That is so much more powerful than any external accolades.
Moving on from what we were most proud of in the past, I wanted to focus on another kind of motivating energy that can keep our fire burning – the future:
What are you most excited about in the next six months?
Be honest with yourself. This isn’t something others are telling you to do but rather an intrinsic burning desire that you can’t switch off.
What is it, and what steps can you take to make it happen?
Sometimes we feel like our life has become dull when we get caught up in the systems, processes, and monotony of too much work.
Remember, you always have the power to make your life more “exciting” if you want to.
So if you can’t think of anything exciting coming up:
What could you do in the next six months?
(That would be exciting.)
💬 A Quote to Ponder – On figuring out yourself
“Knowing others is intelligence; knowing yourself is true wisdom.
Lao Tzu
Mastering others is strength; mastering yourself is true power.”
Cheers!
