Hollow Fears

Usually when I'm procrastinating it is because the thing I have to do is mentally or physically hard. It takes energy and effort and it seems so much easier to sit around instead.

But sometimes the thing I have to do is easy. I know how to do it already, so it doesn't require solving problems or thinking something through, and it doesn't require much physical exertion. But still I hesitate.

Often this means I'm afraid for some reason or another.

As long as I don't examine my fears, they continue to influence my behavior and push me away from doing the task at hand. But sometimes when I recognize that fear is what's keeping me from doing the thing, I can see fairly quickly that my fears are hollow. I prick them with the pin of rationality and they go "pop" like the balloon they are.

I just had this happen. I was procrastinating on checking my work email. It's not hard to check email. I do it all the time, so I don't have to spend mental energy figuring out how to do it, and it isn't physically demanding in any way. It turned out I was afraid of what I might find. But then I realized that I have the capability of handling whatever comes to me on email. Even if it is something I don't like, I can handle it and I don't have to be afraid.

Once I realized I was afraid but it was a hollow fear, I was able to check my email and check that task off my to do list.