Don’t Put Off Till Tomorrow What You Can Do Today
Thomas Jefferson said, “Don’t put off till tomorrow what you can do today.” How very wise I find that statement now. Procrastination should have been my middle name! And why do we procrastinate when we know something has to be done? Maybe I use to think that problems or issues would resolve themselves without any effort on my part whatsoever. Even I realize when I procrastinate that the issue or problem would still be there waiting for me, sometimes worse than if I had taken care of it promptly. If you stop and think about it, everything from the tiniest decision to the most complex one…nothing will get done unless we do something about it.
A part of my brain is like a broken record and I’m working hard to fix it. It’s the little voice inside my head that always says, “You don’t have to deal with this right this minute. Just leave it alone and go back to it later.” Funny thing is, I rarely go back later and when I do it seems too overwhelming to deal with so I ignore it completely. Does this sound familiar or am I the only one that thinks this way?
You know what I think it is in a nutshell? Laziness. Just plain old laziness. We get too lazy to do what’s right, to get things done that we need to get done and so nothing ever gets done and things get worse, not better! It’s a horrible cycle to get into. It’s how really bad habits are formed.
March 1st, when my doctor dianosed me with diabetes, you know what it felt like in my brain? It was like a sign was held up right in front of my face and the sign read, “You can’t procrastinate anymore Cindy, you have to deal with this NOW!” And for a split second, I thought, “Just ignore it and it will go away.” But I think in that moment, that little part of my brain that was in the habit of putting things off finally got the right signal that to continue doing that would cause the death of me. Literally.
So, here’s the funny thing. All the things I’m doing now to take better care of myself heathwise isn’t a bit hard! It’s really been quite easy, at least the decision to finally “do something” about my health issues was easy. Maybe because there’s no other choice for me, unless I want to be totally stupid and ignorant and I sure don’t want to be that!
I’ve gotten up off my lazy ■■■ and with a new determination I decided that there isn’t anything I can’t accomplish if I put effort into it. Which brings to mind another famous saying, “It’s never too late to change your life.” From little things to big things, you can make positive changes and believe me people will take notice. And even people around you that are struggling with their own issues (and yes we ALL have our issues to deal with), they are sometimes motivated into doing something positive in their lives and that can sometimes create a very awesome positive cycle.
I’m no expert on anything, I certainly don’t claim I have all the answers. But I do know from personal experience that I’m living proof of what can happen to a person who makes a habit of putting off things…it catches up to you! Don’t fool yourself into thinking it doesn’t because it will I promise you!!
You ever stop and wonder just how much WE are at fault when it comes to the stress levels we live with in our daily lives? I mean, I’ve felt the elation and self respect that comes with making right decisions and problem solving. There’s no feeling like it. You feel like you’ve conquered something important and guess what? You have!! When you deal with something that you wish you could put off for another day…that’s a wonderful accomplishment!! That’s why I’m not beating myself up for all the times in my past that I’ve ignored things I shouldn’t have. Because I’m the one in control, I’m the one that makes the decisions concerning what my life is going to be.
If you have issues or problems (and we all do), tackle them one at a time but don’t ignore them. They won’t go away, they won’t get better, you can’t hide from them…until you deal with them. If seeking professional help is what it takes then do it!! I had to. I felt so overwhelmed with my health issues because I’ve procrastinated for so long that I couldn’t help myself until I got help so that I could help myself. Anyway, I hope all this makes some sort of sense. Thanks for listening to me.
Take control of your life…its the best thing I’ve ever done for myself!!
Peace and Love, Cindy
Cindy, you sound like a female version of me except that you are much more eloquent
Famous words of my grandfather who taught me those things all my life up til he passed away 12 years ago!
He must have been a very wise man indeed Doris!
I couldn’t agree with you more Cindy.
Thank you Teena.
Very wise and a good role modle to boot!!!