I have a confession to make:
I’ve had a stack of books out from the library since early February. They’re about language and they’ve been gathering dust on my bookshelf. I’ve renewed them at least 4 times and I feel pretty crappy about it.
They sit near my work space and I find myself eyeing them uncomfortably.
This image is way too big for a reason: you’ve bitten off more than you can chew. (Photo credit & big thanks to Nina Chen!)
So today when it came time to renew these books for the 5th time, I decided to stop kidding myself. Not-so-deep down, I knew the truth: I’m not going to read them. There, I said it. So I returned them.
I would call this quitting. I totally failed at reading them. And you know? I FEEL AWESOME ABOUT IT!
Sometimes what feels like procrastination is actually one of three things:
- not the right time (it may never be – it’ll be later, when your priorities reshuffle)
- not the right thing (the less you fight it, the easier it’ll be to let go)
- or it’s actually procrastination (only you get to decide if this is actually the case)
Is there something you’ve been feeling guilty or ashamed about neglecting?
Give yourself a big hug and exhale deeply and smile (seriously, do this now). Do you feel better? (If not, do it again and mean it this time.) Spend a moment appreciating who you are in this moment, and if you need to, let go of the guilt or stress whatever it is you’re pondering: wholeheartedly, free of judgment and criticism, perfect just the way you are.
Now you’re ready to face the music and be honest with yourself: is this one of those times quitting will feel amazing?
Anything festering up in your mind or collecting dust on your shelf? Take the first step and admit in in the comments below!
xx,
