“I
know I should be doing it, I know it’s a good idea, but I just keep putting it
off!” Ever heard that cry coming out of your own mouth, or from someone you
know?
In a poll I conducted as to what was the one thing that got in the way of people taking care of their end-of-life affairs, ‘putting it off’ was the one that came top, by far.
And
of course, it is something that can be applied to any action we know we
‘should’ be taking but just do not get around to.
Like
Maureen, who bought a wonderful self-help book, got all inspired by how she was
going to change her life finally – and six months later, it was still on the
shelf and hadn’t even been looked at.
Or
Silvia, who promised herself faithfully every spring that she would go on a
diet and attend an exercise class – and she did. But then didn’t continue.
Or
Sandie, in my field of work, who started the thinking involved with making her
end-of-life plans, but got stopped by a visit from a grandchild, and then
didn’t get started again. And that was two years ago.
It’s
very, very common to put off what you know you NEED to do, but don’t really
WANT to do, for whatever reason.
So,
here are three tips that will really help.
Change Your Thinking
If you’re
constantly thinking you don’t have time to take action, that’s quite possibly
true at one level. However, that’s not going to help get the thing done, is it?
Instead, change your thinking around it.
For instance, consider the idea that there is plenty of time. It is a finite amount, after all. Or the phrase, “time is my friend” or “I am in charge of my time.” All of these challenge the underlying notion of lack of time, which is what you are stating when you say you don’t have enough.
Start Small
If
you feel overwhelmed by the thought of a diet, an exercise class, or an end-of-life
plan, then it needs to be broken down into much smaller, more manageable
chunks. Only then will it become possible to consider where you might start.
For
instance, although I don’t recommend diets, if you decided to do one, the first
step might be finding the plan that feels right for you. Or admitting that you
need support doing this kind of thing and investigating what is available in
your area.
You
have to take the first steps (often research) before you can go any further, as
with any journey.
With
an end-of-life plan, the first step is very often
admitting your own mortality, as in, “Oh yeah. Death is going to come to me
too.” Not always easy to do, but once you do admit it, then other questions
that need to be answered will come rushing.
Reach Out for Help
In
order to reach out, you need to be able to admit you need help. For instance, I
go to a Pilates class twice per week. I go twice because I know that I am not
going to do this kind of exercise on my own at home. I simply am not going to
do it.
The
freedom I gained in admitting that allowed me to look at what I then needed to
do to avoid my back seizing up. The price I pay is having to go to two classes
per week.
If
you find it difficult to get your head round the fact that an end-of-life plan
needs to be done, then help from others in a similar situation can be really
useful.
Get together with a bunch of friends (just two or three is fine) and use a helpful book to go through what you need to do, step by step. This way, you can hold each other accountable too.
Or consider becoming a leader in your field of interest. There is no better way to ensure you take care of your own health/end-of-life plans/whatever area is your passion. After all, you have to walk your talk then, don’t you!
Let’s Have a Conversation:
What’s getting in your way of getting things done? Comment below and let’s hear about it – sometimes just having it witnessed is enough to start the process of action!
