With so many pre-trip things to do, like getting rid of stuff, doing research, packing, and officially saying good-bye, it is only natural to freeze and get nothing accomplished. Going out and doing things is such a great distraction from doing those little things that matter. But with an adventure fast in full effect, what is stopping productivity?
Fear in disguise.
Denying fear is so automatic that sometimes we don’t even realize we’re doing it. It manifests itself in funny ways. We get angry for nothing, are emotional for no logical reason, and classify stupid things as important.
Just last week, I went ape poop on everyone and everything in sight and couldn’t understand why. I thought it was everyone else, but it turned out to be me. I was having such a hard time deciding what of my belongings stays and goes but didn’t make the stuff-attitude association right away.
They’re just objects. Why is it so hard to let go? Just because you’re throwing something away that you’ve had forever doesn’t mean you’re throwing away any of the important things associated with it or anything about yourself. They’re just objects. Your memories, experiences, and goals are in your head, not the object.
Let go. You’ll still be you.
It’s possible that what you’re scared of is what’s to come. To be scared of the unknown is only natural and while it is important to know where the fear comes from, it’s more important to conquer it.
“Courage is not the absence of fear, but rather the judgment that something else is more important than fear.” – Ambrose Redmoon
What’s more important: fearing life or living your dream?
So-called procrastination.
I tend to procrastinate. People will call me lazy or unfocused and unorganized but it’s not that. Procrastination is the veil of an underlying problem. The problem is different for everyone, and I say everyone because I know for a fact I’m not the only one that procrastinates.
Procrastination plays out in many ways, much like fear. We get stubborn about saying “later,” we adopt an “outta sight, outta mind” mentality and avoid places and people, and sometimes, we busy ourselves with things that aren’t important just so it looks like we’re too busy to focus on that thing we’re avoiding. The underlying problem for me is the fear of losing myself in the unknown.
Ask yourself: what are you avoiding and why? What’s your malfunction?
It’s also possible, and likely, that you’re procrastinating because you just don’t want to do something. Maybe it’s time to be honest with yourself…and whoever else your actions will affect.
Weight of the world.
Sometimes, we’re frozen in inactivity because it feels like there’s so much to do. Really, though, is there? A quick story:
When I was six, I used to suck at eating. It would take me two or three hours to finish a meal. I just wanted to go play, forget eating. One night, exhausted from sitting at the kitchen table and watching me battle with food, my mom put one of my neighbors up to getting me fed.
My neighbor realizing that no words would convince me decided to turn a huge amount of food on the plate into four smaller piles. I’d select one, eat it, and the remaining three piles would become four again. Between spoonfuls, she’d distract me from the food by telling me all about grown-up girl stuff that a six year old loves to hear. We continued for about ten minutes and before I knew it, I was done. At six, I obviously didn’t appreciate the technique, but as a quasi-grown up now, I definitely do.
Break things down; do one thing at a time. When the pressure to complete tasks is on and it feels like the list of duties is endless, make smaller lists. Before you know it, you’ll be done.
Can you fool yourself into productivity this way?
What’s all this got to do with a RTW trip?
We don’t stop being who we are because we’re in a different place. If anything, we flourish and grow, but only if the right habits and routines are instilled prior to arriving. Be a metaphor for a minute. You’re this architect/land owner whose building this gargantuan edifice. You’re design is exquisite, materials top of the line, and location genius, but you’ve got some lousy people working to build your idea.
You don’t know this at first, of course, because they wouldn’t have been recruited to be part of the creation, but you realize this as the building grows taller and the stakes get higher. Do you keep these incompetents and risk the integrity and stability of your skyscraper, jeopardize the entire existence of your idea and hard work, or do you dispose of them? A no brainer if you ask me…
Negativity and bad habits are like lousy workers; they jeopardize the dream. Don’t let your own bad habits and negativity cost you the dream.
