We’re human. For most of us, this means we’ve perfected the art of procrastination. Why do we avoid things? And why do we make up excuses to justify our procrastination? Usually it’s because the thing we’re putting off, such as finishing a project or broaching a difficult conversation with someone, seems hard. The task will require effort. It might be somewhat unpleasant and may, ultimately, drag us out of our comfort zone.
But how do we feel after we finally get around to finishing a dreaded and postponed task? Well, it usually feels great. Right? Often we’ve learned something along the way or, at the least, achieved a sense of accomplishment. Procrastination delays that feel-good reward. What a paradox.
People create many excuses to not meditate. If you Google “meditation myths,” you can read pages of myth-busting articles that explain how meditation doesn’t actually require much time, isn’t only for adults, doesn’t take years to learn, isn’t only for people who are stressed out, doesn’t require lotus yogini skills, is simpler than you realize and so on. But these aren’t really “myths.” These are rationalizations, part of our mighty procrastination defense system.
If you find yourself using “myths” like these as an excuse, consider this: You may have to step outside your comfort zone and reap the rewards. And while you’re at it, what else are you not getting done?