IDENTIFYING YOUR HIDING PLACES - What places cause you to procrastinate?
Once we embark on our goals, despite our best intentions, we will sabotage ourselves. Author Steven Pressfield calls this the resistance, Jon calls these hiding places. Below are some common examples:
WHAT HIDING DOES NOT LOOK LIKE: Your corporate job, for instance, might not be something you love, but it’s not a hiding place, it’s a commitment. Giving that time and energy is what you should do. Your kids are not distractions.
HIDING USING “WHAT’S NEXT: “What’s next” will always look more interesting than “what’s now.” See section 3 - creating your avoid list.
HIDING BY USING MONEY: If you can’t afford to go to the gym you really like because you don’t have the money, expensive vacations might be a hiding place.
HIDING USING “UNTIL”:Karen won’t start her blog UNTIL she’s checked in with a copyright lawyer first. She is concerned that her blog will become so successful that someone will steal the content. She wrote me an e-mail and expressed her concern that this thief will steal her royalties on T-shirts, foam hats, and the graphic novel adaptation.
UNTIL I get rid of distractions I can’t get anything done. If we believe we have to eliminate all distractions before we get work done, we will never work. There will always be one more amazing distraction. Our minds will do anything to avoid the challenge of focusing on something.