Mindfulness Demystified: How to Use Mindfulness to Stop Procrastination
Letting Go of Procrastination
Have you ever had the urge to do something so completely outside your norm that it scared the living shit out of you? It may spark a burgeoning desire that makes you feel so alive that you are willing to do any and everything you possibly can to support it to come to fruition.
Only the next moment your mind is immediately overtaken by the energy of fear, shifting your awareness to concoct every possible excuse as to why now is an inopportune time, to do whatever you feel called to do. The next thing you know, you are caught up in the perpetual cycle of putting off what you can easily do today until an obscure unknown future. This post will delve into 4 Ways to Stop Procrastination Dead in Its Tracks.
The Habit of Procrastination
Ever experience yourself driving a particular route or doing a particular daily activity that you automatically find yourself so caught up in the activity that you are following the same route you would drive on your morning commute, only to reorient yourself back to the present, and wonder what the hell you were thinking? If this resonates in the least bit, you are not alone.
Procrastination is a disempowering habit which many find themselves caught up in with no conceivable way out. Like most actions we repeatedly engage in, it can be a challenging habit to break. Notably, habits form as a result of persistent concerted effort until it requires little to no thought, becoming automatic. In other words, the more you repeat select thoughts and actions, the more your body forms neurological patterns that make it increasingly easier to automatically do select actions with little to no thought.
This is why we often find ourselves so caught up in the monotony of our habitual routine that we can figuratively do it with our eyes closed. Notably, when we permit the energy of fear to consume us, we creatively concoct every possible excuse imaginal to delay doing the substance of our fears.
Interestingly, the more we procrastinate, when we proclaim to be willing and able to invest the time, effort, and mental energy into doing whatever it takes to manifest our intentions, the more we regulate ourselves to experience more of the same perpetually. In other words, the more we procrastinate, the more we convince ourselves that, for whatever reason, a future time is more optimal than the present moment. Be it fear, unworthiness, or any of the enumerable excuses we invent; we use procrastination to delay the things that inevitably free us to live lifemore abundantly.
Whether we cling to past experiences or anchor our hopes in dreams of a nondescript future that has yet to come, focusing our awareness on any tense outside of the present is counterintuitive.
Contrary to popular belief, nothing exists outside of the present moment. In the same way, we can only breathe in the here and now; the same goes for life, as we cannot ration how we live by living life on a layaway plan, living a little today, increasingly molding our lives around fear. Notably, there is only the here and now.
Much in the same way, we freely breathe, taking deep inhalations and expirations at will, with an intuitive knowing that breathing full out will not limit us from taking what we need when we need it, as we have an unwavering trust that the supply will supply our needs.
Interestingly our thoughts emit a predominant frequency that plays on the law of attraction for us to co-create with the universe to create our future. Likewise, the more we delay taking action ( aka procrastinate), the more we attract and maintain the current situations and circumstances we are intent on changing.
Hence inaction perpetuates complacency. In other words, the more we allow the energy of procrastination to remain a predominant force, the longer we’ll remain in a cycle that limits us from living an abundant life. Likewise, the more we stretch ourselves by leaning into the edge of our comfort zones, the more we free ourselves to live life more abundantly.
Mindful Awareness
Reminiscent of the classic film Annie, I’m reminded of the recognizable song tomorrow. Its reference to a future time, in many ways, implies that a future time beyond the present moment holds the keys to our most fruitful opportunities. In life, we flock to the things that capture our interest and retract from the things that may make us uncomfortable.
Theoretically, putting it off until the future implies that the proverbial grass is greener on the other side. In other words, the future promises a better outcome than the present.
Much like a hot stove, if you know a burner is hot, you are going to do everything you can do within your power to remain cautious and safe, ensuring that no hurt, harm, or danger comes your way. You instinctively withdraw your hand to soothe and aid your wounds when you inadvertently touch it.
Interestingly, we tend to apply this same logic to other situations that don’t involve physical injury. In mindfulness, the only way to fully be in the present moment is to sit with the discomfort. You don’t necessarily have to like it; you need to sit with the discomfort and allow the feelings and emotions to pass through your awareness.
What I have learned and continually work to lean into is staying in the present moment. Let me be completely honest. Theoretically, it may seem simple, but it is a challenging task. Sometimes obligations and ideas come at times that may seem the most inopportune. But delaying the urge to write, create, or actualize your desires will only perpetuate more of the same.
If you go a little deeper, we’re hoping that we will perhaps suffer a little less if we put off the things that cause us discomfort. In mindfulness, all we ever truly have is the present moment. In essence, our breath only exists within the present, in that we cannot breathe in the past or the future. Therefore, our lives can only unfold within the now moment.
Hence, make space to do whatever it is, fear and all. Release the need to know how it will work out, and lean into the intuitive trust that everything is working together for your good, as you release any any thoughts rooted in the worst case scenario. Take the first steps, and the universe will supply the way.
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