We’re a few days in to 2020. My social media feeds are awash with plans, resolutions and “best decades ever”. There are a lot of good intentions out there which I applaud. But as I look at my own list of goals and ambitions, the question I'm giving the most energy to answering isn’t “what does success look like” but “how do I start?” You see, I’m a magpie. I like the shiny stuff. I’m easily distracted. If I'm honest I love coming up with ideas but I’m highly prone to procrastination. Given the chance, I’ll think about what I want for weeks before I’ll even contemplate taking the first step. Just to make sure I’m making the right decision. Just to make sure I begin in the right way. Just to make sure I’ve considered all the available options.
The reality is that my justifications are bull@#*t. There’s no such things as the "right decision". There never will be a "right way”. They’ll always be another option that I didn’t consider. The reason I put things off is down to fear. Fear of failure. Yes. But also, perhaps more interestingly, fear of success. Sometimes it's not what might happen if it all goes wrong that is terrifying. It’s what will happen if it all goes right.
My time off over Christmas has given me access to two different and equally useful philosophical perspectives. The first is the great Buddhist teacher Thich Nhat Hahn. I’ve just started his book “No Mud, No Lotus”. The premise is very simple. Without suffering we cannot know joy. The two are inextricably linked. When you begin to acknowledge that your failures are the foundations of your next successes and that equally your successes are the foundations of your next failures, starting becomes much less daunting. It’s about finding pleasure in the journey and starting is just another step along the way.
Less "high brow” but equally impactful have been the learnings I’ve taken from the soundtrack to Disney’s Frozen 2. (If you’re a parent you’ll understand. If you’re not a parent you may not! Please don’t think any less of me 😉) It’s been playing in our house non-stop since we took Nell to see the movie for her birthday in December and there’s a line from one of the songs that I just can’t shake. “Do the next right thing”. Simple, yet profound. When faced with a choice, or a lack of choice, surely all we can do, all we should do, is do the next right thing. I’ve been using the principle over the past few weeks to simplify my decision making with surprising efficiency.
So there we are. My solution for New Year’s resolution paralysis and for procrastination in general. Take the teaching of one of the greatest living Buddhist teachers, sprinkle liberally with some Disney magic dust, acknowledge your fear and do it anyway. Simple but not easy. I’ll let you know how I get on.
I wish you love and luck with your adventures in the 2020s.
Dominic