Currently, I’m building a system to challenge myself to notice when I’m avoiding doing things, figure out why I’m not doing them, and then do them anyway. For more details on the origins of this system, read this post.
For check-ins, I’m going to use the following structure: review the goals for this week, evaluate how I did, and identify process improvements for the coming week. Ready? Let’s go!
What Were You Doing This Week?
So far, this system is a self-accountability tool. As they say, “That which gets tracked, improves.” So for the first couple weeks, I’ll just be paying attention to my focus area and mulling over trends in my behavior. This week, that looked like a little log on my personal scrum board for each day.
How Did It Go?
One of the big projects I’m working on right now is building a storage bench for our back terrace. On Monday, I finally used the chopsaw I bought in August to trim boards to length. This was a win – I was terrified I would chop my hand off or my neighbors would think I was using it wrong.
Then…I spent two days procrastinating going to the hardware store. See, for the bench, I need to go to the hardware store and buy wood. Because we don’t have a car to transport full-size boards, I have to have a store employee cut it for me. This involves telling them, in German, how long I want the boards to be.
Which is terrifying.
So Tuesday and Wednesday, I spent the whole day telling myself I was going to go…and then not going. I finally had my husband give me a pep talk to get the courage to go.
So one big win, followed by a couple losses and a final weak win. Still a win, but not something I’m feeling triumphant over.
What Will You Do for the Upcoming Week?
Like I said before, I’m going to be taking the first few weeks to pay attention and find a baseline. So I only have one adjustment to my process:
- Create a log of avoidant moments
That’s all for this check-in – short and sweet. I’m hoping that over time, I’ll be able to develop a system to identify when I’m avoiding things to protect my ego and take steps to move through it.
