It’s amazing what a bit of hope can do for the human spirit.
When faced with a task which seems hopeless, I tend to shut down and/or procrastinate in an effort to distract myself. I’ve known this for many years, but unfortunately that doesn’t meant that I know how to control it. Yet.
I am two months shy of finishing my bachelor’s degree, and I am currently tangled in a class which seems insurmountable. Lots of legwork and time involved, two things which I strongly dislike, especially when I’m stressed and short on time. The instructions are also not very clear, which leaves me trying to sort it all out as best I can. During this class I’ve procrastinated more than I’d like to admit, which only leaves me feeling even more stressed because I know that I’ve been wasting valuable time. When I’m stressed, I procrastinate, and when I procrastinate, I get stressed. See my problem?
The other day, while sitting down and organizing my to-do list for the class (another procrastination technique I use often), I realized that I was actually much closer to the finish line than I had realized. I knew that there was still a lot of work to be done, but there was hope.
I’m not out of the woods yet, but now that I’ve got a clear plan, I can move ahead and actually accomplish things. I’ll still complain about it every day, but I will keep working because the end is in sight. Knowing that I’ve overcome an obstacle has given me a nice feeling of accomplishment, which is pushing me to accomplish more and more, because I like that “I did it!” feeling.
Like I said, it’s amazing what just a little bit of hope can do.
A Special Strength 