Mike Dooley says – you know what happens just before something big is about to happen?
Nothing.
So if you feel that nothing is happening, celebrate for it is just about to burst through!
Have patience. Yes, it’s the hardest thing to do when you want something so bad you can almost taste it.
Still, have patience.
If you find yourself procrastinating, don’t sweat it. Procrastination can actually be good and a big part of the creative process.
Often something you thought would take a few days or weeks can turn into months. You could be getting a new website designed and go back and forth for ages with nothing really fitting. It can seem like endlessly treading water as you wonder why it isn’t all just falling into place.
You stay patient and trusting because you understand something of how the Universe & Creation works.
Through it all, you keep following your intuition. You clarify and refine your vision, mission and purpose over and over again until it finally starts taking a shape that makes your heart skip a beat.
You know you’re on the right track, you’re getting closer.
You meditate on your vision, you keep hitting pitches and taking Inspired Action, baby steps in sometimes completely unrelated directions.
You act with faith, get started and keep going even when it seems like nothing is happening, with your eyes firmly fixed on your vision. Tweak along the way, keep tweaking, moving, adjusting course as you go along.
You see, sometimes, you just have to get going and trust that your ducks will fall into line. If you spend all your time trying to get them in a row befoe you start, it may never happen.
And yet, at other times, you need to follow your intuition and “procrastinate” on certain things.
Don’t try to force action if it’s not feeling good. In that case especially, trust that there is a reason behind the procrastination, figure out what it is and then take appropriate (in)action as the case may be.
All the while keeping the Golden Rule in mind – Do What Feels Good.
It won’t be long before you see evidence that it really WAS all happening perfectly behind the scenes. Soon you’ll be too busy celebrating and reaping your rewards to ever remember a time that it wasn’t.
And the days of “procrastinating” will make perfect sense.
To know more about When, Why and How Procrastination actually serves you, sign up to get a copy of my brand new hot off the press free eBook “Procrastination is your Friend – Make it Work for You”!
You’ll also have access to the soon to be launched Your Life YOUR Way ezine on Sept 15th, 2010, a newsletter all about strategies, tips, ideas and inspiration to live your life and make a great living … you got it, YOUR way. Um…. why are you waiting? GET IT NOW & then procrastinate if you must 😉
Have you ever put off something you were supposed to do and found out later that it actually worked out better for you? I’d love to hear your stories of how procrastinating helped, rather than harmed you. Thanks in advance for sharing!
ps: Would love to include your Procrastination Success Stories in my eBook so if you’re game, leave a comment telling your story and/or email me at tia@coachtia.com. Let’s get the word out. Cheers!
Hi Tia,
I have been following your blogs for couple of weeks now.. this article actually couldn’t have a better timing.. There has been a lot of delays happening in my work front, which gets me worried sometimes.. and I know it always works out for the best.. but if someone else says it.. it kind of reaffirms one’s belief.. which is exactly what this article did for me today.. So thank you for your inspiration
Anshu
Hi Anshu, welcome to the blog!
Stick around – you’ll find that the timing is always perfect even when you think it’s not 😉 ESPECIALLY when it seems like things aren’t working out the way you want. Trust that those delays are for your highest good and pay close attention to your feelings and thoughts around them.
I find proof every day regarding timing – in fact, after 6 months of wanting to do something (clarify my mission, vision, blog purpose etc) it’s happening NOW. I did ask during those months, why don’t I have all the answers right now and today, I know why.
Because my vision was half formed! The events of the last 6 months had to happen for everything to start falling into place! It’s not that nothing was happening all this while, on the contrary, some ideas were being formed, others were being refined and the jigsaw was being put together.
A year from now I may be doing this all over again and yet, it won’t be the same. Life is all about evolving to the next level and make progress (oh and have fun!) so keep your eye on the bigger picture and don’t fret about the day to day fluctuations.
Thanks for your comment, it means a lot to me. Have a brilliant day!
ps: you have such a cute green face!
First, THANKS so much for this perfectly timed (thanks LOA too 🙂 ) post. It was just what I needed today because I have felt stalled in many ways.
And now that you mention it, yes, I have had an instance of delay working to my advantage. About three and half months ago, a freak windstorm broke off the top of a tree in our yard and that top fell into another about 100 foot tall fir tree and partially uprooted it, leaving it leaning precariously against other trees in a very tight spot. I knew I had to get the tree removed because in the next storm (we live next to the ocean, so wind storms are frequent), the tree could go on over and take out our neighbor’s fence.
So I called a recommended tree service, and they told me it would cost $850. Well, I didn’t have $850, so I put off dealing with it. I just stopped thinking about it. Every time I saw the leaning tree out my kitchen window, I just thought, “It needs to be gone by fall.”
So three months later, my mom tells me she thinks I should get the tree taken down now and she will loan me the money to do it. I appreciated that but knowing she and Dad don’t have a lot of money, I didn’t like the idea of her spending the $850. So I was inspired to make some phone calls to see if I could locate another tree service (this is something I hadn’t been inspired to do before). One guy came out and he couldn’t do it, but he pointed me to another guy, and when this one came, he said he could do it for $200 if I paid cash. I called my mom and turns out Dad had $200 tucked away in a drawer (she didn’t know about it). And a half hour later, the tree was gone! Woo hoo.
Thank you for nudging me to see the significance of this experience. Now I can feel more relaxed about the pace of other things in my life!
I am gobsmacked Ande!
So by procrastinating, you saved $650 AND it happened pretty much by when you wanted it gone – that is brilliant manifesting my friend.
In the eBook, one section (page 17) talks about how if it’s not a priority and there aren’t any big consequences to it, by all means allow yourself to procrastinate cos it will happen when the time is right.
This story could fit right into that chapter 🙂 Maybe that guy wasn’t around 3 months ago, so your intuition said wait a little! Maybe 3 months ago he wouldn’t have done it for $200 but now he needed the money and happily agreed. I like to think some wonderful forces were at play.
Thanks so much for sharing how well procrastination + inspired action worked for you – woohoo!
Holy Hannah! You are on FIRE, Sister!!! Just received your Procrastination eBook…thank you VERY much! LOOOOOVE it!!!! So fun, fresh…so TIA ♥ !!! You are brilliant. So is your eBook. Congrats. …there are so many aspects of it I love; especially the groovy flow and the surprise at the end. Um, yeah. I did it. And it was FUN! BIG LOVE to YOU, My Friend!!!! ♥ ♥ ♥
People, I promise I didn’t pay Debra to say this! LOL!!
Truly, the best, best, best feedback EVER my gorgeous friend, thank you from the last page of my ebook & also the chapter on fun! 😉
J’adore!
Hey Tia,
I love that Golden Rule – “Do What Feels Good”!
Right now…it just feels really good to be HERE!!
…and as for those ducks…and the row…
I’m letting them wander a bit now…and that IS okay!!
Life is good!! And YOU…YOU are AWESOME!!
Do you have any idea how much zip and zing you bring with you, Lance!? Seeing a comment or tweet from you just makes me grin 😀 THANKS for your exuberance and energy, I love hearing from you!
As Andy Dooley would say, THAT’S RIGHT!!
Hi Tia,
Appreciate your line that hits me to know the real things,
“if you feel that nothing is happening, celebrate for it is just about to burst through!”
It is good and Thanks for this.
-Take Care,
Yep! I like to take every excuse to celebrate 😉 so this one definitely fits the bill!
Thank you so much for your post. I am very happy to see that I am not only the person who has stuck in life. There are other people too. 🙂 I am feeling so much supported… Thank you Tia for such a wonderful post. Could you please post something on how to boost the self esteem and passion? I have ready many blogs so far and found your writing style is very catchy and gives me courage… I feel your words were before few years.
I will explore your blog later!! 🙂 Thank you so much again!! 🙂