Spreading love, joy, peace, faith & unity

Posts tagged ‘procrastination’

Amazing Grace

Procrastination may be a weakness,
But just think of all the joys we experience
While we are doing what we enjoy
And avoiding what we don’t!

As a student who worked in music therapy
And a teacher who worked with the handicapped,
This version of Amazing Grace was such a gift!
I enjoyed it while I avoided the after dinner dishes tonight!

Take a break and click on that arrow up there.
Procrastination is sometimes such an amazing grace.
Don’t you agree? God bless these precious singers
And their dedicated, loving parents and teachers!

I hope this blessed you tonight.
(Thank you, Lavonne, for sharing it.)

Do you have a favorite diversion
that you encountered today while procrastinating?
Why not share it here?


Hugs,
JanBeek

Procrastination

Procrastination –
Is it an issue with you?
I have mastered it!

Photo by Karolina Grabowska on Pexels.com

I’ll get to it next.
That”s just what I tell myself.
But, when does next come?

I often delay
Doing what needs to be done –
With good excuses.

Is that familiar?
And I’m not the only one.
Bob knows that routine!

“Just put a towel out –
It will soak up the water.
I am going skiing.”

That’s two years ago.
A sump pump is what’s needed.
Will a snow fence work?

This is it last week –
After putting up snow fence –
Before last snow fall.

Please get me a towel
To soak up the melting snow
Before it warms up!

Procrastination
Lives in my part of the world
Inside – not just out!

No, not my office –
But it certainly could be.
Mine’s almost as bad!

Do you have places
That you are sure to avoid?
Rather do your blog?

You are not alone.
It’s an immortal problem.
Procrastination!!

The Bible addressed the issue:

“Be strong and courageous,
and do the work.
Do not be afraid
or discouraged,
for the Lord God…
is with you.”

1 Chronicles 28:20

Pray for God to help
You and me do what we must
That we’re avoiding.

Get it off your chest.
Step up – Act wholeheartedly –
Just tackle the mess!

I promise I will –
After finishing coffee.
Hah! Ignore the mess…

Thanks for visiting JanBeek today.
Now, go get busy!!
See ya tomorrow (God willing)

P.S. By the way, did you realize as you were reading this that every three line stanza is a kind of Haiku with a syllabic pattern of 5-7-5? If you didn’t that’s OK. It means I didn’t force it. That was fun!

Bring Love to Tasks

Mountains to climb
Carrying mountains sounds like quite a task!

What are tasks?
Are they unwanted work?
Ask yourself, are all tasks unwanted?

Do we sometimes make tasks out of what could be a pleasant job?

Are some “tasks” welcomed activities?
What makes the difference?
What are tasks?

agriculture backyard blur close up

Photo by Lukas on Pexels.com

Ponder

As I ponder the questions above, I realize my bias! Yes, I think “tasks” are unwanted work. Jobs like cleaning toilets, balancing my checkbook, and weeding are not pleasant activities for me.

For some folks those activities might be joyful, or at least more pleasant than other chores. My mother-in-law used to love being out in her garden on her hands and knees weeding. She had a faulty heart valve replaced with a pig valve. She said that’s why she loved to “root” in her garden. She didn’t need to put it on her To-Do List. She did it as a hobby!

pen calendar to do checklist

Photo by Breakingpic on Pexels.com

Procrastination Festers

I think I DO make a task out of somethings that could be pleasant. Seldom do I put on my “To-Do List” jobs like “Clean my office” or “Take the garbage to the dump.” Unattended tasks fester and mildew and become the Mountains we Carry instead of just climbing them!

I make the task of doing the dinner dishes more difficult when I  procrastinate and put it off after dinner. I think, “I’m too tired right now. I’ll do them in the morning.” If I had gone to the sink to do them right away, my husband might have joined me and as he washed and I dried, we might have had a very pleasant conversation and they would have been done in half the time it took me to do them the next morning after the food had crusted on the pots and pans! How can I make doing the dishes a hobby? Cooking is!

What makes the difference
between a task (work/job) and a pleasant activity?

  • timing
  • attitude
  • company
  • aptitude
  • necessity
  • love

As the title of this post suggests, a key difference between a task being work or that same task being a pleasant activity is the insertion of LOVE!

In Music of Silence, Benedictine monk, David Steindl-Rast and Shannon Lebell wrote,
“As long as we do work out of love for those whom we love, we do it for a good reason. Love is the best reason for our labors. Love makes what we do … rise like music…”

What are some of your tasks?
Can you make them rise like music?

 

Is writing a task for you?

man with hand on temple looking at laptop

Is your writing
done with love
or is it an activity
you feel compelled to do
on some sort of routine for
some unknown reason?

When Writing is a Chore

Most bloggers love to write, or we would not have a blog! Right? So it’s usually not a chore… not a task… not something we dread. If it were, then we’d know it is time to take a break! Let it go for awhile. Build up our inner enthusiasm!

Writing is easy for me most days. It flows like that river of melting snow that flooded our basement this week. During those few times when I feel blocked, I just set it aside, go for a walk, or I read other bloggers. Sometimes I go up to my Angel Room, pray and read a few devotionals, or I go to the kitchen and cook up something inspiring. I imagine myself having a conversation with the part of me that’s blocked.

“Tell me – what do you need?”

I listen for a response – and discover the places in me that need to be released. I find ways to insert the love that’s needed in order to express myself more clearly. I try to adopt a child-like level of enthusiasm for the ability to express my thoughts on paper or at the computer.

girls on desk looking at notebook

Photo by Pixabay on Pexels.com

Bring in the Love and Delight

How might you bring
more love and delight
to all the tasks you are called to do?

How might your perspective change
if you realized the world
NEEDS what you have to offer?

It does, you know!

planet earth

Photo by Pixabay on Pexels.com

So set aside those mountains you’re carrying.
Climb them instead!
Bring LOVE to your tasks
and make them “welcomed activities.”

See you tomorrow.

 

 

Is Resolve in Your DNA?

My husband shared with me

in a conversation this morning

that he thinks people either have it

or they don’t.

“Resolve is in your DNA,” he said.

I totally disagree.

I believe the ability to be persistent,

the tendancy to follow through,

the earnest decision to act on something,

the willingness to actually do it,

all are opportunities that are new,

New every morning.

What do you think?

Does “Resolve” need to be a part

of your DNA?

Or can you find new Resolve today?

What can you Resolve to do what

you have been putting off?

Away with procrastination!

Find and polish your Resolve today!

Accountability

Are you familiar with Affirmagise? It’s a WordPress blog whose subtitle is “Affirmagise yourself a happy life!” This week she challenged us with this title, “I love myself enough to challenge myself.” Then she admitted that she has a mindset that is similar to mine. She often tells herself, “If I don’t do it first thing, then it won’t get done!” Whatever IT is, she’s right! I tell myself the same thing… and what does that do? It gives me a cop-out, an excuse to sit here at the computer and keep on blogging because “First thing” has passed – and now it’s already ten in the morning. I didn’t go to my sanctuary at 7:00 AM. I didn’t go to the Fitness Center at 8:00 AM. “Life got in the way,” I often tell myself. You don’t identify with that mindset, do you? Well, Affirmagise says it’s time to affirm a different mind-set. It’s never too late to love yourself enough to DO NOW what you somehow didn’t get done “first thing.” So long, my friends. I’m off to the Fitness Center – – – and I can always go up to my sanctuary for my time of meditation later today. Right? See you in my prayers! 🙂

 

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