There is a disease that’s prevalent in our society – one manifesting itself over each of our lives – it’s the disease of ‘do-at-frenetic-pace’ and it consumes almost everyone eventually.
This above statement reminds me of a saying I read recently about slumps i.e. slumps into depression... it suggested that slumps were like falling into a soft mattress—easy to fall into but awfully difficult to extricate ourselves from.
This is why prevention is preferable to cure; if only we can prevent the onset of this dastardly disease in the first place.
The Daily Struggle
We just about all have busy lives with pressing needs to manage—tempted we are to go-go-go, just to keep up, and not forget anything. The trouble is we’ll often forget things, ironically, because our minds are so loaded up.
It would be better to re-assess what we can capably achieve and wind back on those nice-to-do activities, and we all have them.
Minding the Minutes – Balance Always
We sit on a knife’s edge, truly we do. On one side we’re adrenalin junkies doing five things at once and doing them very well, “Thank you very much.” But, there’s a problem with that; we don’t have the courage to stop and reflect on what we really need to do, as we just do—otherwise—everything that comes our way.
On the other side of the equation, when we do take that opportunity to relax we either feel guilty or we lament that it must end—the fray approaches and it’s never too far away from our thoughts anyway.
Minding the minutes is about making the right choices each minute – a sort of pleasant plan-and-execute-on-the-run activity.
It’s resting for a minute (truly resting), and then doing what we need to for ten minutes at top pace. It is better rest and better activity. It’s having the momentary courage of awareness to manage those little portions of time to do what is right, right now, and not waiting for the weekend (when most of us won’t relax anyway).
The Ultimate Goal – To Work Hard and Joyously
We can only ever enjoy most, if not all, our work when we’ve approached minding our minutes routinely. This is a gentle and calm boldness to stick to truth and do what comes naturally as the right thing to do—according to what our emotionally-intelligent senses are telling us.
For it’s in this that we truly hear God speaking. Some might call it self-discipline, but the spiritually-adroit person knows there’s more to it.
What is Reverse Procrastination?
I would start with this definition:
The ability to mind the minutes of our lives effectively, such that all the important things in life – the truthfully important things – are done and there’s still enough time to rest and recover.
This is not just an ideal. It’s achievable in each of our lives, but the paradox is we have to work incredibly hard to realise what this is for each of us.
This in itself is a process of self-discovery. We really can get to a place where we love everything we do—and this powers us through life with great purpose.
© 2010 S. J. Wickham.
No comments:
Post a Comment