I love how this topic is the exact words of the slogan for Nike’s new ad. And irrespective of the similarities, this post was in fact not inspired by them. You know how I usually start my posts by saying “It’s been a minute”, well it has been way longer than that. And this post is about why it has taken me soooooo long to send something out – procrastination. And before I get to it, I want to say a huge thank you to everyone who checked on me and asked about the blog, you are a big part of why I am back at this, I love you!
Before the past few weeks, I would not have admitted to the fact that I was deep in procrastination, not just concerning the blog and writing, but also concerning certain visions and dreams. It is very easy for me to go on about how life has been this and that and deliberately miss the fact that life did not happen to me, I simply waited for too long to make things happen.
Writing has been a bit of a shift from my comfort zone, I never really saw myself as a writer though I always picked storytelling in all my English essay questions throughout secondary school, and did really well at it if I may add. I guess that’s just an example of how we let the devil tell us what we are not so we comfortably ignore that we actually are those things and much more. Yeah, back to my point, I prefer to talk and speak to people, I find it easier to express myself that way. And though I was able to write a few posts and be pleased with them, I kept doubting myself. I eventually got to a point where I let these doubts suppress my desire to share, not just in terms of writing on the blog, but doing other things I felt the push to do.
My doubts were compounded by fear of rejection and a need for acceptance- what if I’m not good enough, what if I don’t sound smart enough or actually say the wrong thing, what if people don’t like it, just what if and what if. This feeling was worsened when I chose to check on other people, it looked like they were doing so much better than me and I felt I just wasn’t ready yet.
And so I decided to draft out a plan to set me on this path to being ‘good enough’. This plan was supposed to be the ultimate key to perfection (haha, I wish!), instead, it was a trap. I kept telling myself things I needed to do before starting and justifying my tardiness with this ridiculously long list. This list actually had some very good points on it, but none of them was good enough to have halted me in my tracks. I could have given my best while I became better.
I could have given my best while I became better!
Don’t let your desire for perfection become a refuge for procrastination. I told myself so many times I was planning, I needed EVERYTHING to be perfect before making a move, but you know what I’m taking the advice of a friend Isong Iyang , I’m going to start by starting. I’m just going to go ahead and do it!
I’m sharing this because I feel the need to be transparent, I now know how easy it is to let go of our dreams because we don’t feel like we are quite there yet. Ecclesiastes 11:4 says, “Whoever watches the wind will not plant; whoever looks at the cloud will not reap”. We cannot keep waiting for things to ‘appear’ great before we make a move. God has given so many of us instructions concerning certain things in our lives and we have chosen to decide what time and season to operate in, but that’s God’s job (Acts 17:26). He didn’t give an instruction just to leave you without support (Deuteronomy 31:8). So pick up that thing you set aside because you felt you were not good enough, start that project you know God has been leading you towards, make that phone call, send that email. There is no better time than now. As you walk in God’s perfect will, His Spirit works in you.
So join me today in this parting ceremony as I say, “Dearly beloved we are gathered here today to bid farewell to an unwanted and unwelcome spirit in my life. Today, I stand (well write) before many and declare that I am no longer a slave to procrastination. I am bold and confident in my God-given gifts and dependent not on the acceptance of man but on the instructions of God. Goodbye fear, hello world!!”
Stop making excuses, Just do it!!!
Comments