I’ve noticed that I tend to delay starting/doing certain things because I just want everything to be perfect. Or I say I want to be well prepared and I’m ‘being a perfectionist‘. But sometimes you actually just have to start. As in, why the delay?
It’s really annoying because when I actually start, more often than not, I actually know what I’m doing. So I’m just thinking to myself, why did I waste all that time?
When will I learn to truly believe in myself?
a mixture of procrastination, fear of failure and perfectionism contribute to us not doing what we KNOW God has called us to do.Last year my church did a webinar all about ‘God and my Academics’ and they shed some light on these 3 enemies of progress. Let’s take a dive into each one:
Procrastination
Procrastination is actually a buzzword in university. Me personally, I’m tired of the word. It basically means wasting time (as if there’s even time to be wasting in uni).
Procrastination could actually be an emotional trigger that’s highlighting there is an underlying issue.
So why are you delaying starting your work? Anxiety? Insecurity? Fear of failure? Perfectionism? You just can’t be bothered?
It’s important to think about why you think you’re procrastinating and get to the root of the issue.
La Biblia dice que diligent hands will rule, but laziness ends in forced labour (Proverbs 12:24). Essentially when you delay starting something, you end up being a slave to it as it will rule you. Your work will dictate your life, the time you go to bed, the time you eat etc. No gracias, I don’t want my work to be oppressing me, it’s not fun at all. I just want to be free, I just want to be me.
Fear of failure
Instead of having limitless ideas of what could go wrong, have limitless ideas of what could go right
Luvvie Ajayi Jones, The Receipts Podcast
I love this lady; she really calls herself a professional troublemaker as she speaks up about things that people tend to shy away from and she’s all about pushing yourself out of your comfort zone.
Failure would be you not learning from something and losing everything in your life
Luvvie Ajayi Jones, The Receipts Podcast
I hear what she’s saying loud and clear because what is the actual worst that could happen?
Knowing the God I serve, it’s impossible for me to fail. Even if you stumble, you will not fall because the LORD upholds you with his hand (Psalm 37:24).
If you know God has called you to where you are now, if you know He has sustained you all throughout your time in uni, why would He leave you now? I have never seen the righteous forsaken (Psalm 37:25) and are we not the righteousness of God (2 Corinthians 5:21).
Being a perfectionist
Last we have perfectionism. Some act as if being a perfectionist is a good character trait to have. Waiting till everything is perfect before you start will have you waiting for a very long time. When are things ever truly perfect though? You’ll just end up looking for more and more things to ‘perfect’ before you even start.
There is a difference between having a spirit of perfection and a spirit of excellence. A spirit of perfection will have you dwelling on things you think you could have done better, leading to feelings of anxiousness. Whereas a spirit of excellence is having the confidence in knowing that you’ve done the best you can, while trusting in God, so you’re confident in whatever the end result is as you know that your true validation and affirmation comes from God.
Final words and that
Overall, not doing what you’re meant to be doing is outright disobedience. Delayed obedience is still disobedience and reveals a lack of faith and trust in God.
Sometimes you actually just need to check your mind and heart to see where you’re really at and how you feel about certain things you’re doing or not doing in your life.
For more on fear, have a read of these blogs:
#82 – Love is powerful, The Crown and rebuking the spirit of fear
#6 – Self-sabotage almost made me give up on my blogs
Resources
Song
This song just came out and it’s been on repeat:
YouTube
This is Luvvie’s Ted Talk that she gave 3 years ago:
This video is amazing. I literally have to go back and watch it sometimes, especially when I feel like I’m being a perfectionist or procrastinating.
Podcast
This was some mature content from the Receipts and I’m so here for it, they touch on a number of things but I loved what Luvvie said about fear:
“Delayed obedience is still disobedience” – that is very powerful! So true…