Every day we wake up and expect that our life will have a certain path. When I awake each morning, I have my daily routine thought out. My “best intentions” are to get my coffee, read email, meditate, take my dogs for a walk, do a little more self-care, talk a shower and leave for work. What really happens is that I get out of bed only after contemplating the ins-outs of my day, overwhelmed by the possibilities of what might happen. What am I doing? You guessed it! Procrastination, procrastination, procrastination! How do we change this outcome? There are several theories about getting your momentum started.
What is physics doing here?
Why do we not take the action that we have set for ourselves? Is it procrastination? Laziness? Lack of motivation? We forget how to take one step then another, then another. Newton’s first law of motion or inertia states ” An object at rest stays at rest and an object in motion stays in motion with the same speed and in the same direction unless acted upon by an unbalanced force.” Guess what the unbalanced force that stops us from our best-laid plans? Ourselves. We stop our own momentum.
Where do we begin?
How do we change our direction? I still work on it every day, but every day is a new day. Here are a couple of suggestions:
- James Clear, the author of Atomic Habits, invokes the “2-Minute Rule”. It states that if you are starting a new habit that it should take less than two minutes. This takes a larger goal and breaks it down into very small tasks. In other words, it should take under two minutes to complete.
- Get a good night’s sleep. Feeling fresh in the morning makes you want to get out of bed and start your day.
- When you think about your day ahead, think about the good parts of the day or the ending of the day. How will you feel at the end of the day when you have accomplished your list? Leave the negative out. It will bring about fear and fear is the mind stopper.
- You can’t get started because you are overwhelmed. Your tasks seem relentlessly taunting you. Close your eyes. Breathe in and out for a count of 5 to 10 until you feel calmer. When you open your eyes, the first item or task in front of you is where you should start. Then move on to the next. Keep your Newton mind moving in a forward motion.
- Make your coffee in the evening (if you drink it) so it is ready and smells wonderful in the morning. Take a drink, focus on yourself and begin your day with the next item on your list.
Where do we go from here?
We are creatures of habit. Whether we live one moment at a time or plan all the way from A to Z. These are only five items that I have listed and tried. They have worked for me when I am overwhelmed.
Now, don’t get me wrong. I still have mornings or times during the day that I cannot start and have a successful journey. We all struggle with indecision and procrastination. But, it’s how we view ourselves and the surroundings that help keep us sane.
I hope that these tips help you. Here are a couple of resources for you to look at for more information.
Psychology Today – 5 Ways to Finally Stop Procrastinating
Life Kit Podcast – Why you Procrastinate – And How to Stop
Want to know more about Kinetic Energy? Go to the Physics Classroom
Do you have any other suggestions? I would love to hear them and add them to this list. Together we can change our procrastinating village.
