“He who every morning plans the transactions of that day and follows that plan carries a thread that will guide him through the labyrinth of the most busy life.” ― Victor Hugo
Victor Hugo is considered to be one of the greatest and best-known French authors. It’s easy to think that he penned plays, books and poetry with regularity and ease. In truth, he loved to avoid his work and engross himself in socializing to the point that he procrastinated his projects to his detriment! His solution? He had his servants hide every stitch of clothing he owned until he met his personal deadline. He forced himself to not socialize by remaining indecent until his work was finished!
While Victor Hugo’s methods don’t work for most of us, we do need effective methods to avoid procrastination. Today I am having lunch with my accountability partner and will fess up to my 2 weeks of avoidance.
Tomorrow? Yes. I am back to the gym.
Remove Obstacle: I’ll set out my work-out clothes in the evening so that I am ready to go in the morning.. Reward Departure: My coffee is not granted until after the car is started.
Make it Do-able: I don’t have to stay longer than 15 minutes.
Be Specific: I will go to the gym 5x a week.
Public accountability: I have told you of my plans.
What are ways you can support yourself to meet a goal you are working on? Is there something intriguing in this list that you are ready to try? The progression of life isn’t a one and done. It’s a constant process of keeping our own “thread in hand” that guides us in the busyness of life.
Zoom out a moment. What are your important pieces you want to place in your 2022 planning to keep your thread in focus? Christmas break is a time that I fill out my annual Wheel of Life to access how I am doing with my 8 most important categories of life. Spirituality/Growth, Play/Fun, Home/Work Environment, Significant Other, Health/Physical, Money/Financial, Career/Professional Growth, Friends/Family. I rate how well I am doing each quarter in the year. Before the beginning of 2022, I’ll sit down with Robert and decide the thread of life we want to hold together. Trips and projects as well as daily routines of health and relationships are all openly discussed and dreamed out. Taking some time before the turning the page to a New Year is useful to setting up your days which become your weeks. Your weeks become your seasons. After 4, we’ll bid adieu to 2021.
To procrastinate is positively human. That is why as a coach, I want to encourage you with ideas in my own life as a way of navigating common hang-ups and obstacles, or as Victor Hugo says, “the Labyrinths of life”. I want you to meet the goals you are aiming for. I want you to hold your thread that will guide you to match your doings to your dreams. Is there an accountability partner you want to arrange for yourself to navigate a new goal? What are ways you can set yourself up for success to walk steadily toward your dreams?
Namaste,
Laura