Evolve: Fasting Day 2
Hey friends! Time for day two of communal fasting this week! Yesterday was harder for me than I anticipated, and I really appreciated that a fast of gossip and negative self talk demanded that I consider ( and sometimes correct) the way that I’m speaking to myself.Today our fast focuses on two things: Entertainment and Procrastination. I’m excited to write about these particular fasts because I’ve had a hard time with both during my time in college.For me, procrastination is one of the most debilitating habits I’ve developed as a twenty-something. High school was really easy for me, but when I got to college, I quickly realized how unprepared I was to manage my time and energy well. I couldn’t keep up with my workload and I fell behind in all of my classes, ultimately failing a few of them. I thought I wasn’t cut out for school, that somehow, even though I had alway been a model student, I was too stupid or lazy to succeed here (there’s that self talk I have to watch out for). I’m not stupid, or lazy for that matter, but I was overwhelmed.The longer my to-do list became, the farther away from it I ran, usually into a Youtube video hole or Netflix binge cycle. I wasted countless hours passively watching a screen instead of doing the things I needed to do to be successful. It wasn’t until about a year ago that I figured out what was really wrong. The more I fell behind, the more anxious I got, and the more anxious I got, the less work I could do. When I couldn’t finish my work, the more I fell behind, and on an on and on in a sad cycle of anxiousness and helplessness.It wasn’t until I started spending time with friends who had good study habits and organizational skills that I started to get back on track. The biggest thing that saved me from procrastination is recognizing how courageous it is to finish one thing at a time. Starting with the smallest and most mundane tasks on my to-do list, like checking and responding to my emails. If I can spend 10-15 minutes a day clearing out my inbox and handling the business that seems to fill up my life there, I immediately begin to feel better about my day and my ability to be successful.Hebrews 12:11 always feels like It was written for me :
No discipline is fun while it lasts, but it seems painful at the time. Later, however, it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness for those who have been trained by it.
I genuinely believe that If we can tackle the smallest things on our lists, we can begin to empty ourselves of the clutter and anxiousness that cause us to procrastinate so that God might fill us with something more fulfilling.I pray that we find the courage to handle one thing at a time, and recognize the significance of the small victories.Today, CCW will empty it’s collective Inboxes. Tomorrow, we might change the world.