Posted by Dena on September 7, 2003, at 17:25:06
In reply to Re: Why is it so hard for non-bipolars to get this?, posted by rayww on September 7, 2003, at 8:58:28
Dear Ray -
I can relate TOTALLY! I am the procrastination queen! (you can be the procrastination queen of Canada if you want)
Have you ever heard of Flylady? She's got a website dedicated to help those of us who are SHE's (side-tracked home executives). I've been applying her tips to my own life for the past year & I've been slooooowly seeing progress! Yay! Here's her site: "Click here: FlyLady.net: Your personal online coach to help you gain control of your house and home" (I'm always leary of these double-double quotes. If they don't work, search Flylady.net)
Fly stands for finally loving yourself.
I know all about that "I'll do it when I'm good & ready" thing. I think it comes with a creative personality. We wait for the "spirit to move" us, & then we're off & running! I'm not sure whether it's part of bipolar or not, but it's definitely part of every artist I'm acquainted with!
I suppose it's the flip-side of creative energy. It's also part of a depressive state for me. The only thing I know to do is to just START doing whatever it is, & sooner or later the lethrgy is replaced with the rythm of the project. I can get into a(n altered?) state of consciousness where I just go with the flow of the task.
And I feel soooooo good after accomplishing something that I've procrastinated over! I love to check it off the list (in fact, I so enjoy crossing things off my list that if I accomplish something that wasn't on my list in the first place, I'll actually PUT it on the list, just so I can check it off - I'm sure there's a name for this illness...).
My born-organized, self-motivated, sequentially-ordered husband just does not get my timing. He has asked, & bribed, & pleaded & hinted & begged. I'm trying to be more sensitive to respecting his need for more consistent order in our home (I mean, the poor guy does live here too! And he pulls his weight, doing all of the laundry, & all the yucky-manly-stuff, disposer of garbage, dog poop & dead things). I really got the hint one day when I found him in the living room, using the leaf blower to get the dust out from under the sofa! I died laughing! I was pulling dust & dog fur down off the ceiling for days!
Anywho, that's what Flylady has done for me - she's teaching me about consistency, balance (ah, that elusive concept!), & doing what I can. Being nice to me & my loved ones by giving us a blessed home atmosphere. I love her home-spun humor, "Housework done incorrectly still blesses your family." & "You can do anything for 15 minutes - even something you swore would kill you!"
So, how does this link up with faith? I find that when I'm surrounded by physical clutter, my mind & soul become cluttered as well. I feel annoyed & distracted when things are out of order. I don't feel free to connect with God when there's the weight of procrastination hanging around my neck.
I know how hard it is to get started doing things I'm not motivated to do. It's like walking through knee-high mud at first!
If you check out Flylady, I'd be interested in knowing what you think.
Shalom, Dena
P.S. May your cup of creative juices runneth over!
poster:Dena
thread:257734
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/faith/20030530/msgs/257887.html