How many of us have felt anxiety on a Monday morning? The creeping sense of dread amplified by procrastination and work we put off last week is debilitating and paralyzing. I have found myself in this position countless times in my life. I procrastinate on things that may take me 10 minutes to complete and find myself filled with dread for hours and sometimes days over that 10 minutes of work. Currently, I have been procrastinating on studying for a certificate at work. I put it off for so long that even thinking about it paralyzes me and fills me with dread. This dread will continue to consume me until I take action. Yesterday, I chose to take action. I put aside my emotions and started studying. 10 minutes passed which turned to 30 minutes and turned to 2 hours. The monster of work that was in front of me now felt manageable.
Sometimes, what relieves anxiety and dread is to take the first step and do the work. Once we get past our emotions of fear, anxiousness, worry, and regret – we can start working. Once we begin, the anxiety minimizes and the dread disappears. Only through action is this possible.