I’ll do it later.
I’ll get it done when I have more time.
Is it really that important to me?
I’m really too busy to do that now.
Do these sound familiar? Do they come up every time you think about the book you want to write? The business you’ve been talking about launching for years? The course you were always curious about taking? The trip you’ve dreamed of?
But the thing that calls you is persistent. It gnaws at you during quiet moments (in prayer, or when you finally put down your cellphone). You recall the wash of envy you feel when you see someone doing what you’ve always wanted. When you find yourself procrastinating and you blame yourself for not getting it done or you start questioning its value, you might want to check in with yourself: What part of this is fear and what part of this is reality?
What part of this is fear and what part of this is reality?
It is true that we have other responsibilities.
It’s true that it feels like we have less time.
It’s true that others demand a lot from us.
But is it true when we are on Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat, Clash of Clans, Filpboard, Candy Crush, insert time-wasting app here?
Is it true when we don’t say no to things we don’t really want to do?
Is it true when we walk away from ourselves, from the true desires of our heart?
When you recognize that procrastination is about fear, I invite you to ask him in and sit in the discomfort of his presence. He might tell you: You’re not good enough. Or you might fail. Or it’s too late to change—you’re not smart enough/young enough/old enough/techy enough/rich enough.
You thank him for his thoughts.
And you try anyway. You take one small step.
You write the first sentence of your book.
You sketch out potential business expenses on a napkin
You ask for more information about the course.
You go to Airbnb and discover a charming home to match the city you want to immerse your soul in.
And you commit to yourself to just 10 minutes every day for your dream.
Just 10 minutes.
Just one step.
Just this commitment.
