Breaking the Cycle of Do Nothing
Reflections and HOPE – Breaking the Cycle of Do Nothing
I have the tools. I have the plan. I have the answers. They are all right there, lined up neatly in front of me.
I choose to do something else – actually, I choose to do nothing at all.
“You deserve some time off.” People tell me that we are supposed to take a break and a moment of rest. I get that when I do what I need to do and I get that stuff done then I should stop for a moment and appreciate it all.
I chose to do nothing at all even before I got something done.
A revelation hit me hard as I sat there in my nothing. I had no desire to move out of that nothing. A spark of an idea or two would swirl around in my head, but the nothing would knock it down before it could become anything.
It took a great amount of energy to do nothing so there was no energy remaining to do anything. Nothing seemed the best place for me to settle.
Which brings me back to the beginning: the question is not can I do it because I can – again, I have what I need to do it. The question is WILL I do it.
Break Free of the Do Nothing
- Move for five minutes. Just minutes of movement has a way of breaking loose the “do nothings.” I get up and go for a walk down the drive. I dance around the room. I do a chore around the house. Five minutes refreshes my mind, renews my energy, and recharges my focus.
- Do something for someone else. Invest in others. Encourage another person. Work on growing up relationships. We are encouraged to not forsake the gathering together with others because we NEED each other.
- Get together with others. I need you to cheer me on when I get tangled up in my do nothing attitude. Sitting down for a Facebook chat with my writing group, meeting at an event to volunteer, or just chatting for a moment online or on the phone can serve as breaking point – one that breaks me away from the “do nothing.”
- Quit dwelling in the past. I may have wasted away yesterday. I may have wasted away the last year. Or I may have just wasted away the last hour – but I will never be in a position to change any of that. If I stay focused on the wasted time I will waste more time doing nothing but focusing on the wasted time – it IS a vicious cycle.
My CAN is right here and right now. I have what it takes but I have to develop the habit of DOING what it takes so that my can becomes my will. If I settle into the “do nothing” then I will look back at my life in regret. If I push forward in the “do something” then I will be too busy chasing down possibilities to worry.
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