Hello and welcome to this meditation to help you compassionately understand and overcome your procrastination.
My name is Juana and I'm so delighted you're here.
Let's begin by getting real present,
Looking all around you,
Taking where you are.
Look to your left,
Then your right and down and even behind you.
Take it all in.
Notice any sounds around you,
No matter how subtle.
What is it that you hear?
How about the smells in the air?
Any scents you pick up on?
Observe where your body makes contact with the ground and start sinking into wherever you are.
If that happens to be a chair or bed,
Sense it beneath you,
Supporting you up.
If you're noticing any areas of discomfort in your body,
See if you can soften or accommodate them by adjusting your posture ever so slightly.
If you happen to be listening to this meditation while going for a walk,
That's great too.
Continue moving at an enjoyable pace as you tune into your body.
Relax your forehead,
Soften your jaw,
Drop your shoulders.
Release any gripping anywhere and everywhere.
Take a deep breath in and release an audible sigh,
Settling into this moment,
Letting go of all that came before.
One more together.
And one last inhale and sigh at your own pace.
Welcome to the present.
It's great to be here,
Isn't it?
As you continue to breathe slowly and deeply,
Try lengthening the duration of each of your inhales and exhales,
Breathing in through your nose and right back out through your nose,
If that is available to you.
Savor the subtle sweet sensation of air flowing in and out through your nostrils,
Paying close attention to that particular area.
As you follow each delicious inhale and exhale,
Notice the brief pause in between.
So as the air flows in,
It's followed by a brief pause.
And as it flows back out,
There's yet another brief pause before the cycle starts all over again.
It's a very small silent gap that we never really notice,
But it's a vital part of our breathing cycle and if paid attention to,
Can offer us a nice moment of empty stillness where nothing is happening.
I invite you to really sink into that nothingness.
Use these next few breaths to mind that gap.
Savor a sublime subtle stillness.
Allow yourself to let go of any thoughts of the past or worries about the future.
This moment,
This pause,
Is all that exists right now.
Allow your breath to soften so it's natural and easy.
Wonderful.
I'd like you to now bring to mind the task,
Project or even conversation that you've been avoiding.
Perhaps there are many on your list,
But pick the one that pulls at you the strongest or immediately pops into your mind.
If you feel overwhelmed just thinking about it,
Acknowledge it.
Don't resist it.
Say I see you overwhelmed and I get you,
But let's work together to ease your discomfort.
If you feel critical of yourself for not taking action,
Acknowledge it.
Don't resist it.
Say I see you inner critic and I get you,
But let's work together to ease your discomfort.
If any other emotions pop up when you think about what it is you keep putting off,
Take a moment to acknowledge and comfort them.
Perhaps you sense some guilt wash over you.
Contrary to what many may believe,
Guilt over your procrastination only adds fuel to the fire,
Making things worse and leads into even more stalling.
Guilt doesn't work.
What you resist persists after all.
What you accept can transform.
So let's accept procrastination so we can transform it.
Shall we?
I welcome you to tune inward and invite a spirit of compassion,
Curiosity and clarity.
Go ahead and connect to your most compassionate self,
The one that has a desire to connect to the procrastinator part of you for deeper understanding and healing.
There will be another side of you,
The inner critic,
That doesn't like your procrastination and wants to avoid it.
If it comes up,
See if you can ask it to step to the side as you get to know and dialogue with your inner procrastinator.
How does your compassionate self actually feel like?
If it helps to connect to that side of you,
Think back to a time where you felt yourself to be very empathetic.
How did you feel?
How did you think?
Who were you?
Step into it,
Embody it fully.
From the standpoint of your compassionate self,
Ask the following of your procrastinator.
Procrastination,
How are you trying to help me?
Listen,
Receive its answers.
Believe it or not,
Your procrastination is trying to help you in some way.
It means well.
Other parts of you may not like it,
But see if it can tell you how it's trying to help you.
Is it trying to protect you from any emotions you don't want to feel by procrastinating?
Perhaps its own way of coping with challenging feelings and negative moods induced by certain tasks.
Boredom,
Anxiety,
Insecurity,
Frustration,
Resentment,
Self-doubt,
Unworthiness,
And beyond.
Procrastination isn't just about a failed ability to manage time or even a lack of motivation.
It goes much deeper than that.
Ask it,
Procrastination,
What emotions are you trying to protect me from feeling?
Wait for the answer,
Receive.
Ask,
What are you afraid will happen if I don't do that,
If I don't procrastinate?
Wait and receive what it has to say.
What is it worried will happen if it doesn't try and protect you in some way or help you?
Tune in to the answer.
Don't worry if nothing comes to mind,
Let it be.
Lastly,
Ask your procrastination,
What is it you need from me right now?
Procrastination,
What are you longing for?
What do you wish for?
Is it acceptance,
Peace,
Freedom,
Or protection?
Let the answers flow.
See if you can provide it with what it needs.
Send yourself and your procrastination some loving compassion.
If it helps,
Visualize some white healing light showering all over you.
I welcome you once more to bring back to mind what it is you have been putting off.
Try reframing the task by considering a positive aspect of it.
Can you recall a time you did something similar and it turned out good or at the very least okay?
Reflect upon the beneficial outcome of completing it.
What might your boss,
Teacher,
Partner,
Family member,
Friend,
Yourself,
Or whomever concerned say when you present them the finished work or job?
How will you feel about yourself when it's accomplished?
Tap into that feeling now.
As the ancient Chinese philosopher Lao Tzu so wisely said,
The journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step.
So with that in mind,
Recognize that you have the power to tackle whatever you need by taking just one step at a time.
And it doesn't have to be a huge step,
Even a tiny one will suffice.
Go ahead and ask yourself,
What small step can I take as soon as today to move me in the right direction?
Remember that stillness you connected to at the beginning of this meditation?
Well connect back to it now and allow your intuition to speak to you.
What step,
No matter how small,
Can you take?
Visualize yourself taking that next step with ease and flow.
See yourself working on that task or having that conversation or whatever it is your intuition guided you to do.
Feel yourself being focused and motivated as you accomplish it.
What do you get out of taking just this one step?
Does it lead to an even bigger flow of energy and movement?
Envision how taking this one simple action leads to a ripple effect of many other steps that follow in good timing.
Tap into that sense of accomplishment that comes with making progress.
Feel this progress as if it's happening right now.
But keep in mind,
Taking breaks is just as important as moving forward.
The brief pause in your breathing cycle is just as important as your inhale and exhale.
You can't have one without the others,
So give yourself the space to rest and rejuvenate when you need to without judgment or guilt.
Remorse only hinders your progression.
Think about it as the natural ebb and flow of life.
You can't always be doing,
You also have to simply be.
You are a human being after all.
Reflect upon the many ways you can give yourself restorative breaks.
Is it going for a walk,
Swimming,
Biking,
Hiking,
Reading,
Meditating,
Journaling,
Napping,
Playing games,
Playing music?
What is it?
Picture it all in your mind's eye.
Don't forget,
Taking care of your mental and emotional well-being is as important as being productive.
You can't have one without the other.
In fact,
Being in good spirits will inspire your productivity and give you great ideas,
So don't neglect it.
Rest,
Work,
And play are all important,
So strive to balance them.
Affirm silently to yourself,
Repeating with conviction after me,
I commit to meeting my challenges with greater acceptance and kindness rather than rumination and regret.
I commit to staying present and taking aligned action.
I commit to making choices that align with my goals and values.
I commit to giving myself full permission to rest and play when I need to.
And so it is.
Take a moment to thank yourself deeply for choosing to deal with your procrastination in a healthy and productive way that will serve you.
Recall the one small aligned action you envision taking and set out to do it either immediately or in the next few hours or day or so.
Commit yourself to doing it.
We have now reached the end of our practice and we'll begin to slowly transition out.
So when you're ready,
Bring your awareness back to your ground connection.
Wiggle your fingers,
Then your toes,
And gently open your eyes.
Carry the sense of mindfulness and intention as you move on with your day,
Knowing that you have the power to overcome procrastination in a compassionate way and achieve your goals.
I believe in you.
Thank you so much for entrusting me with your time and energy.
As always,
Let me know how your inward journey went and what aligned action you have committed to taking.
I'd love to root you on.
And of course,
Follow along for more to come.
Blessings to you.
