Written by: Dr. Khalilah Johnson, Executive Contributor
Executive Contributors at Brainz Magazine are handpicked and invited to contribute because of their knowledge and valuable insight within their area of expertise.
Pivot, Push or Pause is the question many are beginning to ask when it comes to deciding what tasks are worth our time and what task should be put to the side. Far too long the western society cultivated an ‘I’ll die when I sleep mentality.’ Workaholics are often celebrated for their sacrifice and dedication, while many who choose to live a less high-performance life may be mistaken for low achievers.
It can be no wonder, that the U.S. has the highest record of anxiety in the world. Psychology Today, published an article written by L. Kevin Chapman Ph.D. where he states,
“Although the process of anxiety is undoubtedly universal and occurs in all cultures, diagnosable anxiety appears to affect Western society, in particular us Americans, more than other cultures.”
I’ve heard it said by many, the pandemic caused a much needed pause. With more time to reflect, many began reevaluating what a successful life truly means. Motivation for some started to take a shift based on individual values instead of cultural and societal expectations.
If you’re someone who was used to being busy, your slowdown may be causing you some discomfort.
Often, I hear from client’s procrastination is one of their biggest problems. They may feel out of control. The belief is often if they could just stop procrastinating, it would solve 80% of their issues. In some cases, our work together uncovered, procrastination was a positive symptom of healing. When limiting beliefs were cleared, so did many of their false burdens.
Truth is most people procrastinate. The reasons for this seemingly counterproductive behavior can be diverse, including perfectionism, burnout, lack of enthusiasm, and boredom. Having a better understanding of our feelings surrounding the task or duties we’re resisting is vital to determining what to do next.
Procrastination can be a motivating tool.
Not being focused enough to complete a project and finish the task on our agendas can feel like we are letting ourselves and others down. Depending on the severity of it, it could leave feelings of helpless and depression; but there’s no need to beat yourself up, all procrastination isn’t equal.
Here are four signs your procrastinating because of personal growth, evolving values, and principles:
1. You’re letting go of false loyalties, expectations, and demands placed on you by others. Often, when growing up with lacking support, one of the only ways to gain some form of affirmation is pleasing others above ourselves. Whether parents, teachers, or friends; you never really knew what it meant to make yourself proud.
Throughout your life, your motivation might have come from the applause, acceptance and attention received by being dependable. Thoughts of how disappointing others might be, were frequent motivations. You may have learned to sacrifice your own needs and how to push through any difficult situation. In the past, those motivations worked, but not anymore because in all your hard work, you never stopped to ask yourself what you wanted. Now, you have no choice but to shift directions. Your motivation is coming from the more confident version of you.
2. You’re showing up differently, expressing your likes, dislikes and saying no without feelings of guilt. In the past, you may have felt bad for saying no to an invitation and felt the need to explain your reasons until you were positive, no one’s feelings were hurt; but today, being understood is no longer your priority. You’re more concerned with keeping promises to yourself.
3. You’re learning to trust your instincts and do what’s best for you. Once you would have gotten other opinions before executing a new idea, but now you are learning to trust your intuition. You’re also not afraid to make a mistake, willing to accept full responsibility. There’s no fear of failure, only opportunities for growth.
4. You take time to care for yourself, honoring your wants and needs. You’re healing from past hurts and experiences; learning self-acceptance, self-compassion, and increasing in self-esteem. You are redefining who you are, what you want, and deciding for yourself what you’re worthy of receiving.
Learning our initial motivating factors is key to examining if we are dealing with mental blocks or if we need to evaluate our beliefs about how our time is spent.
Ask yourself: Does what I’m doing contribute to my overall desire, goals, and success?
As we get more clarity about the life we want to live, anything that isn’t in line will cause us to lose interest.
The more you are aware of what truly motivates you, the less likely you’ll be to keep up with false burdens and unfulfilling duties. If you recognize any of these signs, congratulations! You are no longer in the rat races but walking toward your divine path.
Dr. Khalilah Johnson, Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine Dr. Khalilah Johnson, is an Executive Coach, Communication Architect, and Trauma & Resilience Expert with a multi-generational trauma history. After years of suffering severe trauma starting as early as adolescence, she struggled with deep depression, sleep deprivation, and detrimental memory loss; leading to her being diagnosed as permanently disabled. She went from being locked inside of her own mind and limited in speech, to today, being an award-winning powerful Inspirational Keynote Speaker, International Best-selling Author.
She is the CEO of Redefined Unlimited Executive Coaching Firm, Brazen Nation Media Digital Marketing Agency, and Power After Trauma LLC. In pursuit of a breakthrough for herself and others, Dr. Johnson, is now a distinguished member of the American Academy of Experts in Traumatic Stress, in collaboration with the National Center for Crisis Management, and a Licensed Interfaith Chaplain. Her professional training includes over 40 specialists’ certifications in the areas of holistic healing, psychology, trauma, marketing, and business.
Dr. Johnson teaches the same methodology she used to break free from a life sentence of a disabling, mental, and emotional prison, through her signature program, UNPACK 2 IMPACT; The 5 E’s of Effective Generational Transformation. In this program, she has taught students that span over 97 countries, how to clear blockages of limiting beliefs, identify, and break intergenerational trauma patterns, turn purpose into profit and go from invisible to influential. Her story has inspired millions globally and has been shared on Fox, NBC, CBS News, Chicago Tribune, Authority Magazine, and Thrive Global. Her mission: breakthrough barriers, build better businesses and become bridges of hope, to future generations.
