Many people have a tendency to procrastinate, engage in something they enjoy rather than a required task and/or avoid confrontation. We do this because it is easier and it’s more pleasant and hey, why should I always be a work horse? There are proverbs and aphorisms that help remind us of the importance of doing the hard stuff first and, honestly, I find them helpful. For instance, I really want to get back to reading Lessons in Chemistry but I knew that this blog needed to be written so here I am. As soon as it’s posted, I’ll find out what happens with Elizabeth.
The one that helped me this morning was something I heard growing up and it was as annoying then as it is now: eat your peas before your dessert. Nutrition backs this up, of course, but so does life. If you do the thing that’s healthy or productive first, your mind and body benefit. If you walk, run, do yoga, meditate, play Pickleball, etc. in the morning, it’s statistically much higher that it will have occurred that day. Also, it starts you off on the right foot (like making your bed).
Perfect is the enemy of done Is another one that I like and I know it’s a revised version of what it originally was but it works. If we obsess over a project, ruminate, revise until it’s ‘just a bit better,’ and so on, it’s possible that it will not be completed in time. We all want to do the best work possible and it’s important to be careful so that mistakes are not made; however, we need to also think about the end goal (getting it finished) so that we don’t hamper the project (burden our colleagues, end up with a lower grade because it is late, miss the deadline for the grant, etc.). It is important to get it finished.
One job that people are often reluctant to do is to rip off the Band-Aid. The goal is to discuss a difficult problem with another person and then be able to say “I’m glad we had this conversation and I hope that we are clear (or good/back on track)” afterwards. I see this problem fairly often and the reasons people hold onto problems rather than communicating in hopes of a resolution are numerous because they may: hate conflict and arguing, simply hope it ‘goes away,’ they have had the issue with the other person for so long that it just ‘too late’ to bring it up now, and similar excuses. It is not easy to bring up a difficult issue with another person but it is possible and the reward can be magnificent. I’ve written previously about how to have difficult conversations and I believe that approaching them with humility, vulnerability and respect is crucial.
If you want to discuss an issue you are having that involves avoidance, preoccupation, disagreement, and the like, please get in touch with the Ombuds Office and we can discuss options and practice tools for handling these things. Remember… where there’s a will, there’s a way.
