Time Wasting Isn't Always What You Think It Is

I'm a LifeHacker lover. I follow them on Facebook, I check the website on a regular basis, and I'm always on the lookout for the best way to use my time - because LifeHacker has all the answers, right?

They have had plenty of time-management-tactic posts in the past, and there are plenty of other resources as well to help you find a system that works best for you for getting stuff done.

But what about how best to get started?

All the advice ever is "just start, and it will happen."
Just get up and go do the dishes, it's not that bad. Or start writing the book you always wanted to write. Or open the book to read, and it will happen. Declutter your house, it's really not that hard.

And that's great.
It works for most people.

But for me, that isn't a solution. It's forcing.
My anxiety prevents me from starting projects that I perceive as possible failures.
For example, I've tried blogging multiple times in the past, and every time I've failed at it in one way or another - trying to post too much without the correct networking, trying to just go with the flow and hope ideas came to me, or trying to cover too many subjects at once.
So, when the idea for another blog came along, I was leery of it. I loved the idea, but needed a push in the right direction. I wrote out two pages of what I would post about, how I would manage it, what I would do differently, and how it would help me.
And even after all that, it still took a few weeks before I started - because I was scared that it would just be another waste of my time!

So all that time, being wishy-washy and worrying, was time wasted.
Out of fear of failure.

With my anxiety, it's easy to talk myself out of things. But I'm slowly coming to realize something magical...

FAILURE IS OKAY.
Effort is not wasted. Time is not wasted.
If it's something you enjoy doing, just DO it! If it's something you want to accomplish, just DO it!

As I said, it's a slow process, but it's working more and more in my favor lately. Especially once I've realized that all the thoughts telling me why I shouldn't do something is actually the part that is wasting my time and efforts.

So, I've planned for things farther and farther out of my comfort zone.

• I have study programs that I am working on, on a weekly basis, planned into my schedule.


• This is my second "series," so to speak, on this blog, and I plan on many more - but not for a while!


• I cleared out a small disaster in our living room last night, because I was tired of looking at it - and we found a squeaky ball for the dogs in the process!


• We have a mostly clean house, because I'm forcing myself to think about how awful it is here and how it's not that bad to work on it.

This all sounds rather simple, I'm sure.
But, from my point of view, it's not.

• Studying? I have never stuck with self-study. Ever. Even for things I enjoy. It's always super awesome for a few days, and then I don't do it for one day, and I don't touch it for months.


• I spoke earlier of my blogging failures, so such a big undertaking (a "series") is a big commitment!


• Clearing things is easy, but why do it when that pile is kind of convenient?


• Why spend so much time trying to make the house presentable? Nobody is ever here, and with the dogs and our bad habits, it will be filthy again in no time (which is, sadly, a true statement).

All these things are ways of life. And they have to be looked past.

In the end, just get up and do it.
Write a note about it, and make it stare you in the face until you do do it.
For me, it often won't be a "just get up and do it", but it is easier. I can always end my rant of "but what ifs" with "oh well, just get up and do it, see what happens," because all the time I'm thinking about those "what ifs" is time I could be spending on the task at hand.

~Havok

P.S. Please tell me I'm not the only one ;)