“Should I shave this morning? Or tonight? What about tomorrow before the drive home? Will I work from home? What if not?” You’d be surprised how much time someone can waste in front of a mirror.
Actually, I think you know perfectly well. You do it too. Not about shaving, perhaps, but between the right level of makeup, how to do your hair, and whether to pop that pimple or not, there’s no shortage of topics for self-debate, is there?
With my inner argument still in full swing, a single image came to mind: Me, sitting in my chair at WeWork, scratching my beard and being annoyed, wishing I’d shaved it earlier. And just like that, a decision was made.
We don’t always get these glimpses into the future right when we need them, but we can always ask ourselves: “Has this task reached the appropriate level of urgency to just do it now?” Where is your tolerance for leaving the dishes, the skin treatment, or the report undone? Can you stretch it another day? Or have you had enough?
My beard was already itchy this morning. It would only have gotten worse from there. So despite already leaving the house late, I took an extra ten minutes, and now my skin is fresh and scratch-free.
You won’t always be able to knock yourself out of your own head back into reality, but maybe next time, you’ll remember this rule of thumb: Shave when itchy, clean when dirty, replace when smelly.
Your life force is too precious to waste on recurring minutia. Don’t let a scratchy beard keep you from pursuing your dreams.