I started out this blog by writing the title and then leaving the room. Gotta make coffee… oh, look… a spot on the floor… how is the compost doing? You get the point.
What is it about procrastination? The definition of Procrastination is; the avoidance of doing a task which needs to be accomplished. It is the practice of doing more pleasurable things in place of less pleasurable ones, or carrying out less urgent tasks instead of more urgent ones, thus putting off impending tasks to a later time. We, as a society, seem to get tasks done when someone is making us do it. We seem to lack the motivation to get it done ourselves. I mean, it’s proven that we will do it, it does get done… but why do we have to be pushed to get it done? When I was in the Marines it was drilled into my head, D.I.S.C.I.P.L.I.N.E., hyper-focusing on the task at hand. Of course, in the Marines I had somebody drilling this into me… today it’s just me doing it. When I quit my day J.O.B. (Just Over Broke) to do music full-time I had to acquire that old Marine discipline again… something that I haven’t trained myself to do for a very long time. I had gotten so used to being told what to do. I would work endless hours at the Ad Agency to get the task done, but found that on my own I could easily get distracted.
Living here in Las Vegas makes it even harder. This is the first place in my life that I’ve lived that something is ALWAYS going on. Every day, every night. It never ends. And I’m the type of person (Leo) that wants to be out doing everything all the time. When I lived in Marina del Rey I had a routine. Get up, exercise, go to work, come home, meditate, record… I know what you are probably thinking,”Poor David! You have such a full life. I’m so sorry!” Don’t get me wrong, I am blessed. Beyond blessed. I’m just saying that with so much going on it’s hard to keep a routine going. And I believe we all need a routine to keep that balance in our lives. We need to get the task at hand done first, then we can play. And sometimes that just plain sucks!
So how do we do both? How do we maintain a routine AND have a full life AND get the proper amount of rest?
Exercise: I’ve found that I have unlimited amounts of energy if I get up and exercise before I even have time to think. For years I would get up before sunrise, get on my bicycle and ride 20 miles. I did this every morning. Eventually it became a game. I would try to work up a sweat before I saw the sun peeking over the ocean. Don’t make excuses saying that you’ve got too much to do. Believe me, it will get done and it will get done more efficiently when you exercise first. Don’t blow it off. Start small. Walk for 10 minutes a day. Get into the routine of putting on your running shoes, or cycling shoes, even if it’s for a few minutes, at least you’ve done it. Eventually you’ll be doing it longer and the routine will set in. I have a friend who runs every morning. I’m talking a touring musician. Someone who flies to another state to do a gig, going to bed at 2am sometimes. It doesn’t matter, he has made it a mandatory routine. So if he can do you, so can you. No excuses. If you can, get a work out partner. Somebody that will call you up and keep you accountable, and vise-versa.
Eating: I would eat a light breakfast, go to work, have a snack at work to keep up my energy, all in all just grazing all day long. Not eating more than a fist full of food. Most nutritionists will tell you that eating 5 or more times a day is much healthier than eating 3 big meals a day. Think of your body as a locomotive, and food, coal. With a train you are always feeding that fire to keep the train running fast and strong. When you eat 3 big meals a day you’re body goes into overtime trying to digest the food. That’s why we get sleepy after a meal.
Meditation: Meditation is not just sitting in the lotus position and saying ‘Om’. Yes, that is one form, but there are many forms of meditation. Meditation is just focusing on one task. I use my cycling as a form of meditation. For me I concentrate on my breathing while I’m riding. Maintaining a rhythm. This is a good way to look at meditation… When you clear your mind you are allowing a flow of energy, source, God, whatever you want to label it, into your body. When that energy flows through you it hits each of the Chakra’s to create an even balance. A harmony if you will. When your head is all cluttered, energy has a hard time flowing. Think of it as a Dam. When you put up a dam it blocks the water from flowing down the river.
Community: We are always getting together with friends, either here at the house, or out to dinner. Conversation is very important in maintaining a healthy lifestyle. Being with people who you can actually talk to. Be vulnerable with. It makes you feel good and you actually get more accomplished when you share it with others. I’m not saying blabbing it all over Facebook. This isn’t to brag on what you are doing… it’s just being real with people who you are comfortable being real with. You’ll find that you can bounce ideas off of friends and they can do the same. Sometimes you have that ‘ah ha’ moment that will motivate you to try something different that you never thought of yourself.
Journaling: Before you go to bed at night take a pen and paper and write three pages. Three pages of anything, it doesn’t matter. It’s more the routine of just free-form writing to get your juices flowing.
Make a list. Start your list with Exercise, and then the tasks that you need to get done, and by when. Go through the list one by one, only checking them off when they are done. Do your best not to bounce around the list. And most importantly, reward yourself when the tasks are done. Allow yourself to go to that concert, or dinner and drinks, when the tasks are done. I’ve found it easier to accomplish if I’ve got a pay off.
If you have a hard time with this, share it will your partner or friend and have them do the same. It will help keep you accountable.
And last but not least… don’t beat yourself up if you are having a hard time doing it. It’s human nature. I was told years ago that even Tiger Woods had a golf coach. You can do the same, it helps having someone who will hold you accountable. I do life coaching and have been coached myself. It works. Contact me and we can set up a plan for you that works.
Namaste,
David
P.S.
You can also read my blog every month in Sin City Presents Magazine.
https://www.joomag.com/mag/0120469001463355793?page=32
