Hey Reader! 👋 I made it through my pickleball-free week. What need did you honor?

This week, I delivered the fourth session in my new Human-Centered Leadership curriculum. Writing that session was a STRUGGLE.

Not because I didn't understand the concepts.

Reader, what got in the way was this story: you have an extra week between sessions, so you should work ahead and take the pressure off.

Great advice. So why wasn't it working?

The first few days go by and I'm not making much progress. My inner critic jumps in and starts calling me out: You're already behind. You are not being productive enough. You shouldn't be struggling.

All of these messages convert this moment of abundance into scarcity thinking, which drains my energy and my creativity.

Up to this point, writing the curriculum was an energizing and effortless task.

As soon as I switched my brain to productivity mode, I started focusing on what's lacking instead of what is emerging.

Now I have eight days to finish the next session, and I have a procrastination hangover.

Breaking up with my "productivity" mindset is a challenge. Every time it sounds off, I feel the procrastination creeping in.

Here's how I'm navigating that 'ugh!' feeling:

• Sit in boredom: Research shows that after 15-20 minutes of boredom, our brains' creativity activates. So instead of scrolling social media or reading emails, I'm taking silent time to be with my thoughts.
• Plan to work: Rather than waiting until I "feel like it," I'm deciding specific times in my day to work on the curriculum.
• Celebrate progress: As I work, I pay attention to my creative energy and make sure I relish in my progress. Enjoying what I am doing is the best way to keep procrastination at bay.
• Honor my internal signals: I am following the 30-minute rule. If after 30 minutes I am losing energy, I take a break.

Reader, the procrastination bug hits everyone. What I want you to take away from this is the mental piece about scarcity.

Finding your way back to abundance is the most sustainable path forward, which requires you to honor what you need, as we discussed last week.

Let me know how you experience the correlation between procrastination and scarcity thinking.

P.S.

My Human-Centered Leadership curriculum is getting rave reviews from the pilot participants. For the second consecutive year, the Gallup State of the Global Workplace report is calling out managers' burnout and disconnection, and highlighting the need for training. I'd love to explore how we can bring HCL to your team.

Have an awesome week!

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