Why Can’t I Get Started?

Sometimes you just have to force yourself to get back on track.

Lockdown was supposed to be a time to get after it and chase your goals. To reset and maybe even push yourself to the next level. But things don’t always go to plan.

When it was announced, three weeks ago, that New Zealand would go into stage 4 lockdown it all felt like something out of a mediocre disaster movie.

Watching news reports, listening to radio bulletins and reading front-page headlines all felt very surreal at the time and pretty damn scary, to say the least.

But, not being one to dwell on the negative things in life, I began to look for the silver lining of this dark and disturbing cloud that has been shadowing us for months.

And like many, my thoughts were drawn to making the most of the time which was to be spent self-isolating at home.

I was going to write, workout and build some positive new habits every day, maybe even learn a new life skill, a language perhaps.

By the time we overcome this global challenge, I was gonna be a new man and ready to take on the next chapter of my life with confidence and vigour.

Three weeks on and those dreams are just that, dreams.

Ideas, small talk, empty promises. Call it what you will, but from the first day of lockdown, I’ve done nothing to put those positive thoughts into action.

Granted, I have still have to work my regular 9–5 job each day from home — I’m one of the lucky ones who can still earn during this crisis, which I’m thankful for — but even before this pandemic I was doing way more to achieve my goals and having ‘less time’ in which to do it.

I’ve allowed myself to fall into the comfort trap and it’s about time I did something about it.

“The first step in solving a problem is to recognize that it does exist.” — Zig Zaglar

April has been my slowest month of writing this year, with March coming in at a close second. It seems procrastination has become my best friend over the past few weeks and we’ve been building a bond like no other.

A bond so strong that even the mention of eating healthy and doing some light exercise has been unable to waver it.

Two activities which play a major role in my life dismissed without a second thought. Accompanied by the excuse of, “I’ll rest until the end of the month and then get back on track” — whatever.

There was one other thing that has caught my attention, only today as it happens, which may or may not be a major issue to some, but its something that I found interesting.

The more I’ve allowed myself to procrastinate and pamper myself excuses, the more and more notifications seem to be popping up on my phone.

Besides emails and text messages — of which I receive few— almost all of my notifications are usually switched off.

But with this increase in laziness, it seems that I’ve also been subconsciously inviting further distractions into my daily routines.

Now, I’m not sure if these two things are related but I found it interesting that these two unproductive traits have seemingly gone hand in hand over the recent weeks gone by.

Zig Ziglar once said, “The first step in solving a problem is to recognize that it does exist” and that’s the point I find myself at as I write this piece.

Now’s the time to get back on track and push myself harder than before.

To break free from this unproductive comfort zone that I’ve slipped into and do what needs to be done to move forward in pursuit of my goals.

I’ve been lucky enough to have avoided the effects of this global outbreak, both directly and indirectly.

There are people out there that have not been so fortunate.

So it’s time to stop lazing around and be thankful for all that I have, which also means not wasting the precious time that I’ve got here on this earth.

For if anything is to be learned from the recent global events it's that life can be taken away from anyone in an instant.

Stay safe, count your blessings and become the best version of yourself.