Procrastination. Something all of us can relate to, some of us learn to overcome, and none of us like to admit to doing. It shows up at the most inconvenient of times and holds us back from progress.
Procrastination Coach, Dr. Christine Li, is making a difference by helping people identify and challenge their negative thoughts, while finding the self-discipline to take action. Her sense of humor, thoughtfulness and passion for her work are refreshing, and it is a pleasure to share some of her expertise today!
{Better Homes & Gardens}
WHAT CONSTRAINS US
by Christine Li
It’s funny how sometimes what gets in our way is not the work we have to do, but our attitudes about ourselves and the various blockages that occur from those attitudes. You guessed it — these are not “I am great and powerful” types of attitudes. These are nagging, negative, worry-inducing ideas and fears about ourselves. Here’s a healthy sampling:
Our fear of not being unique.
Our anxiety about letting go.
Our concerns about what other people will think of us.
Our notion that we are not enough.
Our cluttered minds and spaces.
Our refusal to move on.
Our reluctance to change.
With the aid of services like the ones offered by Diane Elkins of Positive Workspace, we can change the negative aspects of our approach to the positive.
We can realize we are inherently unique, in our perspective, our voice, our ways in the world. There is no reason to fear being less than who we are.
We can actively engage in our work by letting go of our need to perfect it before it is even started. By letting go we allow our creativity to grow unencumbered.
We can understand we can’t control what other people think of us by holding back on our own work. In fact, we can realize people will think what they will think no matter what we try to do to shape their ideas about us. And we can feel less burdened as a result.
We can trust that we are always enough, in terms of “good enough,” as we give our best efforts and believe in what we are putting forth through our work.
We can make immediate movements in freeing our emotional minds for creativity and productivity as we straighten up our workspaces. When our workspaces are functioning well, we effectively clear the way for better focus and clarity in our work.
We can learn our movement requires just the determination and decision to make one small step in the forward direction. We can teach ourselves through taking small steps consistently and with ease that we never have to be blocked from moving forward again.
We can embrace the sometimes difficult notion that change is everywhere at every moment. When we pause to step away from our anxiety about creating work, we can see anxiety for what it is — a signal that we are facing change. We can develop a new habit of reading our anxiety as a positive sign of a new beginnings rather than a negative sign of alarm and danger.
What constrains us should never be taken lightly. We can learn from our delays, our worries, our cluttered messes. That said, we should never bow down or surrender to what constrains us because what constrains us is almost never the work itself. You will be able to find the very best parts of yourself through your work once you decide to work without any constraints. I wish you all those very bests.
Christine Li, Ph.D., is a clinical psychologist who specializes in helping those who grapple with procrastination, anxiety, and attention problems, including Attention Deficit Disorder and Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder. Please feel free to visit her blog at Procrastination Coach for more of her thoughts on these topics.
