This post was written by Inner Engineering—an elephant partner. We’re honored to work with them in their dedication to spreading the mindful life. ~ Ed.
Do you often do as Mark Twain advised in jest, “Never put off till tomorrow what may be done day after tomorrow just as well?”
Okay, it’s Saturday morning, and you thought you would get up at 6 a.m., but then you pushed the snooze button three times, and it’s now 7 a.m., but tomorrow you’ll get up earlier so as to get a jump start on your yoga and that list of things-to-do.
Or maybe after that oh-so-filling dinner and dessert last night, you promised yourself to eat better today…until that tempting leftover cake makes you forget, and then it’s back to “I’ll start tomorrow.”
A Psychology Today article points out how we all have had the experience of wanting to get a project done, but instead put it off for later. Sometimes we wait because we just don’t care enough about the project, but other times we care a lot—and still end up doing something else. Everyone procrastinates sometimes, but many people chronically avoid difficult tasks and deliberately look for distractions—which, unfortunately, are increasingly available.
Procrastination in large part reflects our perennial struggle with self-control as well as our inability to accurately predict how we’ll feel tomorrow, or the next day.
Luckily, Sadhguru tells us how do to get out of this vicious cycle of tomorrow, tomorrow, tomorrow:
There is a popular superstition in some villages in India. As soon as the sun sets, the villagers fear that ghosts and demons will come to their homes. So in order to save themselves, they have a sign painted in red at the door that reads “Naale Baa,” meaning “Come Tomorrow.” The idea is that, on seeing the message, the ghosts and demons will know that they are supposed to visit this house the next day. But as tomorrow never comes, neither do the demons! Isn’t that wonderful?
But in your life, for all those things that are essential, you have put up a “Come Tomorrow” sign, too. Whether it is about working, exercising or even practicing yoga for inner peace, the sign will still say “Come Tomorrow.” This “tomorrow” is a deep trick of the mind. In the morning, if your mind says, “I will not get up and do yoga,” your ego will then say, “How can you not do it? You must do it.” A feeling of guilt sets in, so the mind very cleverly says, “Let’s do it tomorrow.” Tomorrow is always a good day, isn’t it? But when you say “tomorrow,” everything is over, as tomorrow never comes.
Tomorrow is the biggest demon in your life; this is what the rural wisdom is trying to say. Most of your life and energies are spent on a tomorrow that never comes in your experience of life. Tomorrow is an idea for which we must plan, but we can never live it. Whatever you need to do and experience in your life, you can only experience it today. You never experience tomorrow; it is just your imagination, and yesterday is only your memory.
So exorcising this demon from your life is a spiritual process in that you begin to live your life, not just imagine your life. What happens tomorrow is essentially created today with the right kind of thought, emotions and actions. If you wish to do anything, whether it concerns your internal or external well-being, creating the necessary atmosphere is a must. Whether you want to run a business or lead a peaceful family life, maintain perfect health or a peaceful state of mind, unless you create the necessary atmosphere, there is no prospect of things happening well.
There were four friends who tried their hands at several businesses, but no matter what they did, their business ended up in failure. Then one of them suggested that they buy a car and start a taxi service. They somehow managed to buy an old cab and parked it at the train station, but no customers came. Then they moved to the bus stand, but still no customers. Then they drove all over the city, yet they couldn’t find a single customer. Do you know why? Simply because all four were sitting in the car!
They had the desire to run a business, and they wished for the business to be successful, too. But with the way they went about it, would they ever be successful? In the same way, whatever you want in life, if you do not understand what is needed and do exactly that, you will only end up doing some work in the end, but there is little chance of reaping any fruit.
If you want to wake up early and do yoga, you have to understand what kind of atmosphere is needed. If you eat an entire pizza at 10:00 at night and plan to do yoga at dawn, your body will say, “Shut up and sleep!” But if you eat earlier and a little bit less, your body will awaken at dawn. And in the morning, if you take a cold shower, your body will say, “You can do yoga.”
You have to create the necessary ambience to do what is needed. If you create the resolve in your mind and the necessary settings for the body, you will be eager to do any activity you set for yourself. If you continue doing it for a few days and start reaping the benefits, then there will be no need for anyone to remind you to do it. You will do it all by yourself.
A tomorrow does not fall upon you. Tomorrow is created today. If you exorcise this demon from your life, then your life will come alive in many ways
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