Procrastination, Fear & Courage

JANUARY 22 NEWSLETTER

Procrastination is a dodgy thing.  We can mask it or justify it and it still comes up literally  “dodgy”.  This past week I have kept myself busy in many ways doing things that are what I determined as “important”.  I started to realize that I was putting things off that were of higher priority in order to do “comfortable and easy” things.  As I sit writing this I acknowledge that sometimes avoidance can be a real obstacle in my life.  I have created numerous distractions for myself, stories I’ve told myself and the excuses I’ve used to halt my motion forward.  I asked myself why?  What am I feeling and why am I avoiding writing this newsletter? These questions are where I begin when I am engaging in low priority  “action” as opposed to “Motion” to get the task done.

Honestly, this week has been fear of not writing well, fear of messing up ads, fear of discomfort in doing the unknown.  Most reasons for procrastination are fear of failure at whatever level that is.  Big things, small things and in between.  I recently read that you cannot be courageous without feeling fear.  This rings true because if you weren’t afraid then courage would just be a regular day to day occurrence.  When fear arises it takes courage to go for it.  It even takes courage to ignore the critics. It takes courage to get back up when you have fallen down.  It takes courage to step into that arena, to quote Brene Brown.

Growth only happens outside the comfort zone.  So here I am stopping procrastination, facing my fears and stepping into that arena because I know how great I will feel after pushing through my nagging fears and doing what I’m here to do!

When I did my first 30 day Alcohol Free challenge, it was hard.  I decided to keep going month after month.  I slipped here and there until I decided I was completely done with alcohol and the way it made me feel.  These slips gave me so much valuable information about myself and my health that I learned to appreciate them rather than beat myself up for them.  These little gems are called “data points”.

I’ve cultivated a new space where self compassion and grace grow at a surprisingly fast rate.  This was paramount to me sticking to any goal I had and my commitment to give up alcohol.  It has become a part of my everyday life and instrumental in my personal development which I commit to daily. 

Some of the challenges of my journey were fears of people judging me around my choice to not drink. In the beginning, well intended people would try to get me to drink; scoffing when I would say “no thanks” and thinking something was wrong with me for not drinking.  The reason I am sharing this is because in the beginning it is hard and you will experience hard.  Hell, anything that goes against societal norms is hard. 

I had one of two choices.  One was to stay the course for the lifestyle I wanted and the other was to “give in to fit in”.  I’ve always been a freedom seeker/rebel so anything that feels like “control” (ie.societal pressure) strengthens my resolve to reach my goal.  

Yes it still gets a little uncomfortable here and there but for me, I will step into that arena every time.  I believe we all have the right to freely choose our own path.

The path to a goal is never a straight line so be ready for many steps forward and back on the path to any habit change.  My path had its twists and turns and ended up in a place where I love my life more than ever.  I stayed the course even when it wasn’t popular; felt flat; felt alone but knew the best was yet to come.  I have more energy and  no mental fog. I wake up clear headed every day just like when I was a kid!

If you are looking to create change in your relationship around alcohol OR finding life challenging after leaving alcohol behind then book a free discovery call with me to discuss ways to unlock your own personal freedom and bring true joy back into your life.   

Michelle Nesbitt

TMNI Certified Coach

levelupcoaching.ca