#Unsettled

We all know the script: The diet starts on Monday. I’ll call that client next week. I’ll get that project done when the kids go back to school. We call it procrastination, but I’m convinced it’s the quiet thief of joy—a sneaky little evil that keeps us suspended in the waiting room of our own lives.

The truth is, I’m guilty of it. I’m human. I write a thing or two off my list and then get distracted. For over ten years, I journaled, thought, and dreamed about starting this blog, “UnSettled.” I worried: Could I be consistent? Would I run out of things to say? The answer, as I now know, was a resounding Yes. But why did I wait so long? My question to all of us is: What are we truly waiting for?

I recently had to help my children through the devastating loss of a friend, taken from this world far too soon. As I tried to make sense of the grief, I reflected on how much she packed into her short life. She didn’t waste a second. She faced everything with a smile and a readiness to go. And yet, here we are, putting off the very things that light us up. We fall into a routine and go through life like robots, only to end the day thinking, “Gosh, I needed to do XYZ, but I never got around to it.”

For women, this issue is complex: We become over-committed and stretched too thin, and the first thing that gets cut—the thing we keep putting on the back burner—is almost always our own fulfillment. The passion projects, the new skills, the time for true rest.

I decided on a walk this year—where I do my best thinking—that I was done waiting. I am no longer putting myself on the back burner, and I’m ready to take action on the things I’ve always wanted to do. What was I really waiting for? Validation? Permission? The “perfect” time? There is no perfect time. The only time we have is now.

Life is short. Whether we’re here for 10 years or 100 years, every second is precious.

I’m looking for partners in this adventure. Some people just want to hang out in the train station, debating the destination and the fare. Other people are ready to hop on the train.

The challenge I leave you with is this: Take the trip. Learn the new skill. Start making yourself the priority. Don’t let procrastination steal your precious seconds. Go out and get your adventure. Do it.  We are stronger together! Tag a friend who inspires you to stop waiting and start doing, and share this post with them.

The Train Ticket: What is the one thing you have been procrastinating on for six months or more (your ‘train ticket’)? Name it in the comments below, and commit to taking the first step this week!