I’m not sure if you’re anything like me, but I suspect we have some things in common, we are all human after all. Have you ever hesitated when you knew the answer to a question, but then doubt entered your mind and you didn’t speak up? Do you ever consider being more proactive and taking action, but then find it easier to sit back and wait?
Procrastination can be debilitating. Sometimes it may be difficult to know where to start. Maybe you’ve just moved and need to unpack but don’t know where to begin. Possibly you’ve neglected some housework and need to start cleaning but find it impossible to find the motivation. Maybe you need to reach out to someone you haven’t spoken with in years but find it embarrassing or aren’t quite sure what to say. Sometime the task seems too big, and it can feel overwhelming.
This reminds me of a poem by the Welsh poet David Whyte, “Start Close In.”
“Start close in, don't take the second step or the third, start with the first thing close in, the step you don't want to take.
Start with the ground you know, the pale ground beneath your feet…”
The next time you find yourself overwhelmed by what is before you, don’t think about how big the task is, think about “what small step can I take? What can I do next?” Take that first step, that step you don’t want to take, and see where it leads you.