The Master or The Slave?  Embracing the Mastery Over Procrastination

This marks the beginning of my first blog—a dream I’ve carried for years. I feel that I’ve been procrastinating, struggling to find the time to begin. I kept telling myself that I was an overwhelmingly busy person, burdened with work, multiple jobs, and various responsibilities. I made numerous excuses, such as not being in the right mood, having no time and no money, feeling unsure of how to write a blog, and questioning whether anyone would even read it. In today’s world, information is readily available through platforms like Google Baba, ChatGPT, and more, creating an overload of content.

As the years turned into months and days swiftly passed, a constant internal dialogue emerged within me. On one hand, there was a voice—let’s call it the ‘Master’—urging me to pursue what I genuinely loved. Simultaneously, another voice—the ‘Slave’—persistently interjected with a multitude of excuses: the absence of time, money, family, energy, and resources. This ‘Slave’ also instilled in me the fear of failure and rejection.

Years ago, I bestowed upon myself the label of a ‘procrastination pro’ because I recognized this pattern within me. I acknowledged that every individual is allocated the same 24 hours in a day. Witnessing countless people create magic and contribute significantly to the world by doing what they love made me realize the extent of my procrastination. Until 2023, the ‘Slave’ within me wielded dominance, overshadowing the voice of the ‘Master’ and inhibiting my pursuit of what I truly cherish.

The ‘Slave’ within me fell into the routine of scrolling through YouTube, watching around 100 videos, catching at least one movie, and endlessly scrolling through Facebook for more videos. It involved mindlessly following random celebrities on Instagram, observing their activities, scrolling through WhatsApp, and spending weekends eating junk food and watching movies. I labeled all of these actions as ‘entertainment’ and stress-free time! Conversely, when it came to activities like exercising, preparing healthy meals, writing, or engaging in things I truly enjoyed, I consistently postponed them to ‘tomorrow.’ The ‘Slave’ consistently cited work pressure as an excuse, attributing the lack of time to heavy workloads. Unfortunately, this continuous cycle meant that these intentions for a better, healthier lifestyle were consistently deferred, as ‘tomorrow’ rarely seemed to arrive.

Over the passing years, life seemed stuck for the ‘Slave,’ manifesting in the form of various challenges—diseases, pains, struggles, fears, anxiety, and depression. Then, in 2023, something changed. The ‘Master’ appeared and explained that I let the ‘Slave’ control my life for past years, but now the ‘Slave’ had run out of ways to move forward.

The ‘Master’ offered a choice: either live and end with an unfulfilling life with your ‘Slave’ or give control to the ‘Master’ who had the keys to open doors to new paths, promising long-term happiness and a purposeful life. The ‘Master’ said that the ‘Slave’s path brought instant relief but long-term stress and will remain stuck forever as the door closes. The ‘Master’ assured me that following this new path would lead to long-term peace, fulfillment, and purpose, although it might initially feel unfamiliar. While the ‘Slave’s path offered instant relief and gratification, it came with long-term stress, which is the main root cause of all problems in life.

The ‘Master’ emphasized that by choosing this new path, I wouldn’t need to seek happiness or peace externally; these were innate gifts that would perpetually accompany me if I followed the ‘Master. ‘The ‘Master’ offered time to think, acknowledging that embracing this new path might feel uncomfortable initially due to the unfamiliarity, contrasting the ‘Slave’s well-known route. Ultimately, the choice was mine: to persist in the familiar yet unfulfilling path of the ‘Slave,’ resulting in stagnation, or to embrace the uncharted route guided by the ‘Master,’ promising a life filled with enduring joy, contentment, and purpose.

In 2023, a significant moment arrived when I finally made a big decision after thinking deeply about it. Initially, I hesitated to let go of control. There was a part of me, the ‘Slave,’ often presenting numerous excuses that ultimately led to feelings of failure, guilt, discomfort, and a lack of resources. I challenged the ‘Slave, asking what it could offer if failure were the result. Eventually, the ‘Slave’ relented, and I handed control over to the ‘Master’ to guide my life forward.

Following the ‘Master’s guidance wasn’t easy. As the ‘Master’ forewarned, the initial steps on this new path felt uncomfortable. There were times I yearned to revert and hand control back to the ‘Slave. I often found myself looking back, seeing the ‘Slave’ stuck and unable to progress. Initially, I returned to the ‘Slave’ to find comfort, but since I entrusted control to the ‘Master,’ it used this authority to motivate me. The ‘Master’ encouraged me to engage in exercises, adopt a healthier diet, invest in learning and mentorship, and delve into new endeavors like becoming a certified trainer, author (Book: Just Restart), and even more. I even started teaching classes in my community, aiding others in their growth, which, in turn, revealed the long-term happiness and purpose in my own life.

It felt like the exhilaration one experiences when nurturing a newborn baby whenever I ventured into something new.  That feeling of happiness and fulfilment became a part of me and slowly became my habit

As I finally sit down to write this blog—a dream I’ve long pushed aside—I feel compelled to express gratitude to my inner ‘Master’ who held my hands and encouraged me, reminding me that if I can publish a book, writing a single blog should be a simple task. “What’s holding you back?” the ‘Master asked. “Just start it.”

It doesn’t mean that I don’t procrastinate now or that life lacks challenges, struggles, or stress. Sometimes, a bit of procrastination can help alleviate stress and spark creative thinking. However, my ‘Master’ is stringent and doesn’t allow me to procrastinate for extended periods. I do still spend time on platforms like YouTube, Instagram, Facebook, WhatsApp, and more. But the content I consume now is different from what the ‘Slave’ in me used to indulge in. I watch interviews of inspiring people, motivational speeches, educational content, comedy for fun, and explore new technologies.

Our lives often mirror social media algorithms. What we look at and search for determines the content we see repeatedly. Similarly, in life, whatever we focus on gets expanded. If our focus remains on excuses, struggles, or complaints, that’s all we end up seeing.

When we shift our focus to our own ‘Inner Master,’ we discover the beauty in our lives. Following the ‘Master’ makes challenges seem smaller as we learn to cope with situations and manage stress more effectively. In the past, when I followed the ‘Slave,’ life’s challenges seemed overwhelming, leading to constant procrastination and blame, both toward myself and others.

However, as I embraced the guidance of my ‘Master,’ I grew personally, and the problems began to appear smaller. With growth, the problems didn’t vanish, but they no longer consumed my attention. I redirected my focus toward the promising paths ahead, rather than blaming others, and I began working on self-improvement. I once came across an inspirational tale: when an elephant walks, it doesn’t get bothered by barking dogs on both sides. Similarly, in our life journey, as we focus on our beautiful path, there might be complaints, gossip, challenges, and struggles popping up on the side. But just like the undisturbed elephant, we don’t let these distractions affect us because our focus is set on the path guided by our inner ‘Master.’

I am deeply grateful to my ‘Master’ for introducing me to remarkable mentors and coaches on my journey. One lesson I’ve learned is: “Be uncomfortable initially to become comfortable forever.” I once heard a speech where a sentence struck me: When the alphabet ‘i’ is written as an individual when you flip it around, it becomes an exclamation point ‘!’, showing that inside each of us, something amazing is waiting to be discovered—a purpose.

Discovering this purpose eliminates procrastination, excuses, and complaints. When you love what you do and possess a strong desire to make resolute decisions, it becomes impossible to waste time on unnecessary things.

How to find our inner master: The Power of Strong Decisions

The first step toward reaching your dreams is to make strong decisions with intention and stand by them. Give yourself a strong reason why you want to achieve it. Ask yourself what will happen if you don’t achieve it. Continuously tell your slave that you are no longer going to suffer. When I began learning martial arts, my instructor would always say, “Don’t give up just because you’re tired—stop only when you’ve completed your task.”

No matter what difficulties you might be facing now, If you’re encountering any problems or challenges, consider these as lessons gifted by life. Only these challenges can shape your personal growth. Individuals who haven’t faced significant hurdles might lead a typical life, but those who have risen above severe struggles find themselves on the path to success. Reflect on the lives of renowned personalities; many have endured severe struggles at the outset. If you decide to stay in that struggle, no one can help you. Still, if you can make a strong decision to overcome it, no one can stop you—be it health problems, issues in relationships, career challenges, financial troubles, or any other hurdles—the initial move is to focus on fixing yourself first, not others. This holds the key to finding long-term happiness, peace, and relief from stress and anxiety.

Ways to find your inner master to overcome any challenges:

1. Decision-making: learning to make sound and decisive choices with a strong reason

2. Investing in Upgrading yourself: Invest in upgrading yourself in the form of learning, self-care, and setting long-term goals continuously.

3. Improving Time Management: Invest in learning how to manage time effectively.

4. Understanding Brain Hacks: Discovering how to control and rewire your brain

5. Cultivating the Right Mindset: Embracing a positive and growth-oriented mindset

6. Learn the Art of setting Goals: Goal setting is essential to getting clarity. The best way to start is through Journaling

7. Awareness about yourself and your actions: Learn the strategies to become a proactive action-taker

If you’re unsure about where to begin, stay tuned for my forthcoming blogs on the above topics that will offer guidance on starting your journey. Additionally, consider becoming a part of my community and exploring my book, ‘Just Restart,’ for deeper insights and strategies.

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