In the past I have told myself many things about the roots of my own procrastination; that it was spawned by fear of failure, or by perfectionism, or by monotonous tasks, etc. All of those reasons once rang true for me but do no longer.
They do not ring true because of what Byron Katy has taught me about “following the simple directions” and because of a turquoise box, a symbol that something more is at work than what I have habitually told myself.
The box was a lidded plastic container that held my winter driving gear when I lived in the mountains of Pennsylvania: snap-on snow chains, windshield scraper and de-icer, road salt. I took the box out of the trunk, where it usually lived, and placed it at the edge of my driveway one April day when I needed trunk space. It sat there until the first snow the following November. On most days for eight months I walked past it several times, thinking, “Put that box back in the trunk.” But I didn’t do it.
There was no fear of failure or perfectionism involved and, although putting a box in a trunk might qualify as a monotonous task, it would have taken only seconds.
Here is what Byron Katy teaches about "following the simple directions" that spring to mind (such as “put that box back”):
If it comes to you to do something, just do it. All the unquestioned thoughts about that action are how you hurt yourself. Doing what’s next, without a mental argument, is devotion to God.
It now appears that the root of my procrastination is not what I once thought it was, but is instead childish and egoic arguing with God. “Put that box back in the trunk.” “You can’t make me.”
Hi Dick,
When we argue with anyone (including ourselves) we are arguing with God.
I try and remember that but don't always succeed! That's a lovely quote from Byron Katy.
Noreen.
This is very nice Noreen: "When we argue with anyone (including ourselves) we are arguing with God.'
Thanks for that reminder!
interesting thoughts, Dick & Noreen . .
strangely enough, when i saw your post in the latest post list, Dick ( where nothing is yet seen about your Byron Katie reference), my first thought about the procrastination issue was ala Bryon Katie :
"When you argue with What Is you are arguing with God . . & God wins only 100 % of the time " . .
& then immediately thinking " Sometimes it may be that procrastination is What Is – & if it is, that can be ok too " . .
it seems to me that procrastination ( at least in myself ) is indeed the " make me – i dont wanna " * argument * you allude to & that perhaps to weigh in on either side of that is what keeps it going. if you procrastinate, you play the child . . if the parent in you wins out & forces the child not to procrastinate, perhaps that feeds the syndrome . .
perhaps going beyond both roles is the better part, i.e. stepping outside the dualistic tug & simply allowing what ever is natural to the moment to surface effortlessly apart from the dialogue . . even if that is doing not-doing . .
what do you think ?