Manifest Monday

Welcome back, welcome back, welcome back!

This Monday I am manifesting completion of all the projects that I start.

I went for a run this weekend for the first time in over a year and as you can imagine, my endurance, pace, form, and breath work are all over the place. While I was encouraging myself to complete a challenge, which was to jog a quarter mile without stopping, I noticed as I got “close enough” to my end point I was tempted to stop.

I almost did stop if I’m being honest.

Then I heard a little voice in my head that said to me, “Dylan, you always do this. You prepare, plan, push, get things started, and just as you are nearing successful completion you give up.” I was triggered almost to tears. It motivated me to complete my jog but it disappointed me that that little voice was so honest.

I am a chronic procrastinator and I know exactly why I do it.

It’s because even though I put things off, they still get done. And for the longest this has been fine for me because all of my big to-do items always get checked off the list.

I’ve never given much attention to the things that aren’t considered big ticket items and the ways that the small affect the large.

Things like finishing my projects at work, paying my bills on time and managing my debt, responding to emails and social media messages, being available for friends, and motivating others, I handle almost immediately.

But things like sticking to my self care regimen, doing something creative everyday, running, and really anything that requires me to put myself first and focus on my own race, I put off until I’m sitting in the doctors office getting prescriptions for nutrient deficiencies, mental health flare ups, and stroke prevention treatments.

Side note, since my target audience is black women, did you ladies know that we are twice as likely to have a stroke than any other race of women?

Check out the risk factors for having a stroke:

Overweight and Obesity
Sickle cell anemia
Smoking
High blood pressure
Stress
Too much salt in diet
Diabetes

Most, if not all, of the things on this list can be prevented, avoided, or corrected if not put off until the last minute. Yet, so many of us continue to make our physical and mental health a priority. Myself included. We often have so much on our plates that we put our own care behind the needs of others to our own detriment. Stop it.

This week, I am manifesting myself out of my procrastination by recommitting to the track.

Look how happy this lady looks!

Running helps me manage my stress, reduce anxiety, helps me get more vitamin D, ( Seems like my doctors is nnnnneeeevvvveeerrrr satisfied with my levels. I think, she wants me to become a California Raisin.). Plus, I’ll drop these annoying extra ten pounds pretty quickly, and I’ll be reducing my likelihood of having a stroke. Wahoo!

Did you know that procrastination can also be a manifestation of a larger mental health issues like:

ADHD
Anxiety
Depression
Perfectionism
Eating disorders

The procrastination in these instances serves as an avoidance tactic.

For me, the biggest hang up with regards to mental health has been perfectionism!

I wind myself up so tight always trying to make sure I say and do the right things. The fear of being misunderstood or not accepted has had me in a chokehold for most of my life. As a result, I experience crazy bouts of anxiety and panic attacks. How do I work myself out of these moments? By avoiding them all together.

Guess what? Not doing this anymore either!

To manifest better mental health this week, I am going to practice being present.

This week I am going to:

Stop multitasking
Practice deep breathing
Accept things as they are
Hang out with people who make me feel good about myself
Smile
Practice gratitude
Focus on what I can do instead of what I can’t
Forgive past versions of myself

Last but not least, I am going to manifest success on my blog by writing a post every day this week, starting with today.

I struggle with this one.

I have made this commitment time and time again with little, to no, success. This is because of that damn perfectionism again. I get so caught up in trying to make sure I don’t offend anyone or accidentally say something that will get me cancelled off the internet later that I sometimes just stare at a blank screen for hours and then give up. Well not anymore. I can’t keep living behind these fears and letting them stop me from coming here and telling you guys all my business, thoughts, and jokes.

With that in mind, I’ll leave you with this song.