Overcoming Procrastination

Over the years, I have realized that I'm a person who has struggled with procrastination. Now this is not the typical kind of procrastination that is about doing something else instead of what you're supposed to do or coming up with excuses not to do what you're supposed to do. It's more like the one where I come up with possible things I'm waiting for to fall in place and wait to do what I'm supposed to do, I am not distracting myself with other things, in fact, I know what I want to do and very motivated and ready to do it however, I feel I can only do it when I get a particular item or environment or person to do it right. In simple terms, I limit my functionality to a particular setting, or a particular standard or expectation to the point that it slows me in certain assignments in my life.

Every day of that procrastinating mentality fills your heart with a burdensome anxiety, you feel so troubled because time is moving, you keep envisioning something that you are so ready to do but focus all your energies on that one expectation that you probably made yourself or saw someone else have that you don't to conclude your inability to do it. It could be you waiting for a certain financial status, equipment, lifestyle, environment or even age!

One example of this is how I started my fitness journey. I always wanted to start on my fitness journey even before I moved but I would always say, 'I'll only be able to work out when I move."

When I moved, I still found flaws to my progress and felt like this could only workout when I started going to actual gym and get myself some actual outfits, and this took me a while and a whole longer while of frustration since I knew there was no reason why I could not just start with home exercises, walking or jogging around the neighborhood. Till it hit me:

Your expectation of the how the process should go limits how much you're going to do since you're functioning only waits for what it expects to feel or see or have for it to be activated.

And then scriptures reconciled the revelation:

You see in Jeremiah 29, the prophet Jeremiah sent a letter to the Israelites that were in exile in Babylon warning them of the preachers that had come up among them trying to give them messages saying they were from God, this is what the Lord said:

This is the Message from God-of-the-Angel-Armies, Israel’s God, to all the exiles I’ve taken from Jerusalem to Babylon:

“Build houses and make yourselves at home.

“Put in gardens and eat what grows in that country.

“Marry and have children. Encourage your children to marry and have children so that you’ll thrive in that country and not waste away.

“Make yourselves at home there and work for the country’s welfare.

“Pray for Babylon’s well-being. If things go well for Babylon, things will go well for you.”

Believe it or not, this is the Message from God-of-the-Angel-Armies, Israel’s God: “Don’t let all those so-called preachers and know-it-alls who are all over the place there take you in with their lies. Don’t pay any attention to the fantasies they keep coming up with to please you. They’re a bunch of liars preaching lies—and claiming I sent them! I never sent them, believe me.” God’s Decree!

This is God’s Word on the subject: “As soon as Babylon’s seventy years are up and not a day before, I’ll show up and take care of you as I promised and bring you back home. I know what I’m doing. I have it all planned out—plans to take care of you, not abandon you, plans to give you the future you hope for.

JER 29:4-11 MSG

Now look at this context, these people are stuck in a foreign land, but they know that they are the chosen of God, so they'd probably and justifiably, be expecting God to pull off a Moses parting the Red sea stunt part 2, because indeed they were to be restored to their land but God tells them, relax, marry, have kids, build homes, succeed, progress, do what you have to do to be fruitful don't waste any opportunity you have to be great for this too is your purpose! The end of this is restoration but the process is not for you to think of though! (Anita's version)

I learnt that God has called us to many responsibilities, and some of which are to be fruitful, multiply, increase, succeed, be healthy and wealthy at all times! This includes times when you're being prepared for the specific mandates and assignments!

Yes, you've been called to be the greatest businessperson in the world, but how successful are you in the job you're planted in right now, why wait to be efficient when you get your own company, why wait to get fancy filming equipment or tech to make content on social media or the internet (this is one I was also taught), why wait to be committed to studying hard when you get into a certain school/level of education, why wait till you're 25 to start thinking about being financially independent, why wait to serve God when you have been given a pulpit or a hall of multitudes?

Start working on that project, work on getting those grades, be diligent in your work, make that content, post it, eat well, dress wealthy, care for your skin, your hair, spread the good news, send that devotional, send that text, make that mobilization video, be all the greatness you have been called to be! Your fruitfulness should not be narrowed down to fixed points in time. Just start somewhere and grow!

Remember as you are faithful in the little things you're elevated into even greater ranks and higher realms of influence too! (I will delve this into that in an article soon!)