I moralized.
I romanticized.
I over-analyzed.

Yet all I needed was a glass of water.

One day not too long ago, I was really off my game. I nearly missed a deadline, completely forgot a couple items on my to-do list, and was in a grumpy mood (apologies to my spousal unit).

Ya know what was throwing me off? I needed some water. I chugged a good ol’ glass of water and immediately felt the mental fog lift.

All day, I’d over-analyzed my situation. I ruminated about what involved, challenging condition could’ve been causing my issues. I gave myself many diagnoses and psychological assessments! I began at ‘complicated like the ocean’ when ‘basic like a glass of water’ was the only thing I needed.

Just this week, I noticed some issues with my website. Rather than log into the dashboard and check on the basics, I messaged my webmaster, driven by the fear that there was a big problem. Turns out, I just needed to update a couple of things on the site. Nothing was horribly broken. The most simple solution resolved the situation.

What are you complicating in your life? Where are you writing a novel when a sentence would suffice?

If things seem tangled and impossible to figure out, step away from the confusion. Edit out the weighty, big scale factors; adjust the dial down to level 1—and see if a proverbial glass of water is the simple answer you’ve been looking for.

Procrastination is an issue people commonly moralize, romanticize, and over-analyze. There’s a meme going around that humorously conveys this. It says “What do you get when you cross a writer with a deadline? A really clean house.” It’s funny because it’s true. When faced with a deadline, so many of us will find 100 things to do other than the very thing that must be done.

In many cases, we beat ourselves up when we procrastinate. We moralize it as a mark against our character. Sometimes, we romanticize the situation, interpreting the propensity to delay as some outcry from within our souls to do something more lofty or worthwhile. At the core of all this is the over-analyzing that causes us to complicate procrastination and make it some insurmountable behemoth that we’re condemned to contend with all our lives.

Despite all of that, the most simple solution is where we need to start.

We humans operate with an evolutionary motivational triad: avoid pain, seek pleasure, be efficient. This basic triad was very helpful in primitive times when threats abounded, the species struggled to perpetuate, and energy reserves were vital for survival. In our modern era, it’s a bit outdated and can cause us to procrastinate.

Once you understand this, it’s SO SIMPLE. You are freed from the shame, blame, and ineffective games. Now, you are empowered to activate your mental self-executive and override the primal brain that delays you from doing the things!

Start with the most simple solution, and you’ll be amazed how often that’s all that is needed!

Now that you know better, you can do better by leading yourself compassionately, intelligently—and simply!

oxo,
Irene