Ever notice how, when you are on your true path in life, you have enough time to get done what’s most important? And, have you also noticed that, when you’re not following your true path, time seems to be a very limited commodity? Everything seems to be demanding more and more of the time that appears to be less and less available to you.
Recently I was journaling to try to sort through a stuck point and I wrote “I wish the path would become clearer to me. I keep taking steps forward, trying to get greater clarity…or am I?” The end of that sentence gave me pause. When I really examined my actions, what I discovered was my Conditioned Self had again hijacked my plan for success by pulling me off on tangents. In other words, I wasn’t taking my “next best steps”, but rather getting pulled off of focus by seemingly logical steps that really only served to distract me and waste precious time.
Another way to describe this would be my actions were generating a lot of heat, but no light. Our Conditioned Self is afraid of our growth and when it senses we are on the cusp of forward movement, does whatever possible to side-track us from taking those steps appropriate for reaching our goal. Very clever how the Conditioned Self does this, in that oftentimes it keeps us “busy”, but not truly productive. For me, that meant focusing on making changes to my living situation vs. prioritizing my goal of scheduling a teleclass.
So how can we catch this culprit in the act? One way is by asking yourself, “What am I pretending not to know?” My answer to that question was that selling the business I’ve had for 16 years felt like losing sight of the shore, which one needs to do in order to reach the distant places we are meant to go. But, as I journaled, “I have to set sail in faith because I can’t see a darned thing, but water everywhere!” I then answered that comment with “Yes, that is how it is, so accept it and get on with it”. The insight that generated allowed me to again take steps forward toward my true goal rather than flopping about like a fish on dry land.
Another great way to catch our Conditioned Self derailing us is through paying attention to how we feel. When we feel light, focused, streamlined, happy, we are likely to be on our true path and making progress. Time is our ally. When we feel heavy, fearful, burdened, frustrated, or confused, it is probably because we’ve veered off our true path and have gotten mired in the flotsam and jetsam of a life off-track. Time seems to be working against us in this scenario.
A third way to keep your awareness high around the antics of your Conditioned Self is to have an Accountability Buddy. An Accountability Buddy is someone who knows you and knows the games your Conditioned Self plays. Asking this person to gently, but directly point out when s/he sees you dancing around something vs. pursuing it directly can be very helpful in rerouting yourself back in the true direction you want to go. AB’s are also far more likely to pick up when we’re not utilizing time effectively and can help us by setting timelines for getting things accomplished.
I hope these ideas help you create a life where time is working for you rather than against you. Here’s wishing you great success on your path to truly living your life’s purpose and having time as a powerful partner in doing so!
