Who dictates whether we are behind or on task?
There are many things in our lives with distinct timelines that must be followed but I am finding that in reality there aren’t as many as we think.
We are taught in school how to follow timelines. We are told when things are due and how they are to be done. And this is all well and good BUT what they don’t teach us is how to effectively create our own schedule. I believe Seth Godin’s ideas around school in that it’s meant to create followers. People who will do what they are told when they are told and nothing more.
Then you go to college and frankly there is a hell of a lot more freedom without any REAL foundations on how to manage our time or manage our workloads and it’s a sink or swim environment. And for those of us who are exceptionally Type A this can create an insurmountable amount of stress. And it can send our perfectionist brains into a negative downward spiral very quickly.
Post college you move into the world where there are even less timelines and you have to create your own goals and timelines and there’s little to hold you accountable…even more so if you own your own business.
So who dictates whether we are behind or on task? The answer lies squarely (for the most part) within. You dictate whether you are behind or on task. You set your timelines and have to hold yourself accountable. And if you are a high achiever this works out. But if you have even a little bit of self sabotage in you it can cause a huge ruckus. On the one hand you set these goals and want to achieve them and on the other hand you have a hard time following through due to your mental state and any internal blocks that can be a huge obstacle and in some cases feel like a mountain.
Let’s take buying a home for instance. You’ve always wanted to own a home. You have been looking for years on realtor.com and even have a list of favs. You have lost a few you would have loved to buy but you are too terrified to even call and get a pre-approval! Because what if someone says no. What if the answer is no. And this paralyzes the hell out of you so you continue to do nothing. And my response to this is yes it’s entirely possible given certain factors that a lender would say no BUT what if they say yes!? Does that put your mind at ease or does it usher in a new realm of paralyzing questions into your head.
Sometimes we just have to say screw it and put ourselves out there because nothing changes and everything stays exactly the same if we do nothing! And even if the answer is no it’s not really no it’s simply not right now!