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Someday, But Not This Day: The Life of a Serial Procrastinator
Procrastination is a popular topic for self-help gurus. Lately, it seems like everywhere I look, there’s a new book or blog post or TED Talk dedicated to tackling the procrastination problem once and for all. The other day, I made the mistake of saving a spoof anti-procrastination motivational quote on Pinterest. “Why put off until tomorrow what you could get done today?!” Adages like this now populate my feed. They warn me that “procrastination is the enemy of success!” They admonish me that “a person who really wants something will find a way…a person who does not will find an excuse.” I find adages like these to be simplistic and,…
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That’s Me in the Spotlight: Thoughts on Performance Anxiety
For today’s post, I want to talk about performance anxiety. You know, that debilitating fear or extreme case of nerves. Sometimes we call it “stage fright.” It overtakes some of us when we’re faced with doing a particular task in front of a group of people (um, public speaking anyone?). To start our discussion, let me tell you a story: Ancient History Once upon a time, in a decade long, long ago, I was a competitive figure skater. (OK, it wasn’t that long ago, but it certainly feels that way to me.) It has been many years since I laced up my skates and stepped onto the ice. Even so,…
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Self-Improvement Vs. Self-Acceptance: Where Should We Draw The Line?
Another new year is upon us. It’s that wonderful time when we all resolve to do better, be better, change our ways, achieve more. New year, new me! Self-improvement is all the rage. I don’t know about you, but my social media feeds were flooded with posts to this effect. Friends and family shared their intentions for the upcoming year or perfectly staged snapshots of the beautifully handwritten lists of things they hope to achieve. “Make goals, not resolutions!” they say (although I would argue the difference between goals and resolutions is predominantly semantic, but I digress). “Sharing this to keep me accountable!” The Quest for Self-Improvement If you’re anything…