This week I found myself going around in circles creatively, and not in a good way. I had just finished a few major projects, including wrapping up teaching my on-line course, Open to the Possibilities. I was left with a little more time on my hands, and nothing that was urgent or pressing on my plate.
That should have felt good, or at least okay, but since I have been in recovery from chronic Procrastination, I am loathe to waste any free time I might have. It's not that I don't rest — I do. I just really like to be productive when I have the space to do so.
My going around in circles probably had something to do with my not knowing what I wanted to focus on next. Should I offer the course again? Should I write some more? Should I explore making some instructional videos and let it all hang out on YouTube? Should I just sign up for belly dancing class instead? #serious
Instead of feeling free to explore, I felt like a bit of a flattened out mess.
Then today, I made peace with that reality and I regrouped. I decided although the first half of the day had been “lost,” that didn't mean the second half had to be too. I opened up a blank page on the computer and started typing up a quick chart of what I wanted to get done in the rest of the day, without moaning or groaning. And by the end of the day, I was on my way towards greater activity and effectiveness again.
In case you are in a period of going around in circles, I've put together a quick list of suggestions for you to try in order for you to develop a sense of compassion for yourself:
- pause
- meditate for five minutes
- take deep breaths through your diaphragm (put your hand on your belly — breathe so you can see your hand moving instead of your chest heaving)
- remind yourself everything including what you are going through is temporary and transient
- figure out what part of your situation is actually enjoyable or the start of something good
- decide for yourself that you can break away from the state you have been caught in
- call or text someone just to let the stress out
You could also take a different path. You could decide to take a tornado's way out of things. Blitz through all that is in front of you. Make all the decisions. Send all the texts. Plan out the next two weeks. Whatever your needs call for. Or you can just decide to resume as usual, but without the burden of having to carry your jackhammer around all day long.
What jackhammer? Oh, the one you've been working with. The inner voice that beats you up when you are not productive and the one you don't need to keep in your toolkit anymore.
What's in your compassion toolkit? What helps you to cope with periods of low-to-no productivity? I look forward to hearing from you. Please remember to follow me on Twitter@ChristineLiPhD for more insights into breaking free of Procrastination and zooming around the rest of your life.
