Is Procrastination Secretly Stalling Your Success?

LIFE LESSON

Fair warning: Today's #3MR is a ramblefest. Somewhere in the tangents, I hope that my meanderings help you with your upcoming week.

I spent most of this year on sabbatical. With the exception of a few public speaking gigs and private coaching clients, I went inward. Dropped off the face of the social media map. It was a risk. As a self employed person, I rely more than most on being hip deep in algorithms that remind people that I exist. Those who have a traditional job have a modicum of financial security that I do not, but as someone who has had herself for a boss for almost 14 years, I can also attest to fringe benefits the traditionally employed do not have.

That said, this morning, as I was putting together my plans for the week, I thought about the psychological shift that happens in the space between preparation and action.

Procrastination is a manifestation of various psychological symptoms that reside in our subconscious. Family scripts, fear of failure, fear of success, various worthiness issues… the list is inexhaustible. At some point, however, procrastination morphs into inertia, or non-movement.

Let's use a cluttered garage as the example.

PREPARATION:

? Dragging all of the stuff onto the driveway and sorting it out

? Making keep, give, donate, throw away piles

? Actually giving things away

? Actually donating things to the thrift shop

? Actually taking things to the landfill

? Organizing your keep pile

— things that stay in the garage

— things you want to fix and bring into the house

? Going to the container store to buy storage items

PROCRASTINATION:

? Organizing the storage cubes by size, weight and the color of their lid

? Rearranging the storage cubes by weight, size, and the color of their lid

? Rearranging the storage cubes by the color of their lid, their size and weight

? Spending six weeks vetting label maker options

? Hiring an organizer to review all of your efforts

? Leaving all of the piles in their places and going back into the house

At some point, if you don't act upon your intentions, the dynamism of your energy will ebb. Your inspiration is a gift. Refining and acting upon it is an essential component of generating miracles in your life. Jazz musician Miles Davis once said, “There are no mistakes.” There really aren’t.

If fear is keeping you from moving from preparation into the action stage, I encourage you to take one small step today toward realizing your vision. Everything will be okay.

LIFE HACK

This is a foodie hack. Lots of my life hacks involve food, because I believe that the fuel you put into your body largely determines the quality of performance you can expect from it. Now that the weather is getting cooler, I eat a LOT of oatmeal for breakfast. When I first moved to Chicago, I incorporated more vegan and vegetarian choices into my diet. Adopting a plant-based diet is good for your wallet, your health and the planet.

Tuesday, October 29 is National Oatmeal Day. Since I’m an empty nester, I’ve learned to make a big pot of steel cut oats, refrigerating and reheating portions as needed. If you would like to add extra protein to your bowl, add quinoa to the mix. To keep things interesting, I stir in a lot of other ingredients like dried or fresh fruit, chopped nuts, peanut butter, ground flax seed, cinnamon and ginger. It’s a great way to save some cash and invest in your health.

It's super delicious and good for you!

TREAT

Since Halloween is this Thursday, here are some fun things you can do with your kids (or, who am I kidding, for myself!). Scroll through for foodie fun, craft ideas, games and more!

P.S. The FutureU Self Care Summit is now accepting registrations! Held Tuesday, January 7, 2025, this one day intensive experience of high-level networking, vibrant speakers and hands-on workshopping promises to kick off your year in a big way. Topics include ADHD in women, stress management based on Eastern wisdom, successfully navigating life stages no matter your age and more! Learn more about the benefits of sponsorship or attending by visiting our website here !

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An author, media consultant, life coach and speaker, Molly Cantrell-Kraig has been recognized as one of CNN’s Visionary Women, been profiled by both the Christian Science Monitor and the Shriver Report. Cantrell-Kraig has also been interviewed on the Women’s Media Center and the BBC, speaking on such topics as women, independence, gender roles and life transitions. As a catalytic change-agent, Cantrell-Kraig is a self-described work in progress whose focus is on helping others achieve their goals by sharing her own experiences.