A Mason's Work

It's difficult at times to determine when
you are using analysis and

Some of the sort of symbols of The Craft
like we've been talking about their use in
the day-to-day basis it's difficult times to
tell when you are analyzing as a surrogate
for action

We as men tend to get wrapped around the
axle when it comes to

Trying to find creative ways that are the
wrong work for lack of a better ways that
the difference is

You know when you are trying to avoid doing
work

It is often the case that you will sit down
and think about doing the workInstead of
doing the work.

And and or you will do things that are
productively unproductive so you'll do other
work you'll you know let's say you're you
know need to sit down and write a paper for
you know or write a summary for something at
the office and rather than sit down and
write that summary you go and you you know
upgrade the light bulbs in your house to
something else or you chase this sort of
causal chain of things that are Quasi
related that feels productive but isn't

So it's it's easy to get wrapped into that
stuff and find yourself stuck

Doing things that feel really productive but
are really just avoidance with extra stepsSo
how can you tell when you're doing that.

The easiest way is to be honest is to just
start the work and it's tough to do that
because if you could just do it easily you
would have done it already so what the sort
of Popular Science recommendations are you
look at some of the the books out there is
to break this the the obstacle you're trying
to face down are the work you're trying to
face down into the absolute smallest
possible steps micro steps if need be and so
the example might be if you were trying to
write that paper might be go to your go sit
in front of your computer and open your word
processing app or you know program

That kind of microstepping is more
productive in many cases then the reflective
analysis work now that said reflective
analysis is really important and it's a big
part of the content of the channel here are
the podcast is to create those opportunities
for you to dig deep into systemic issues
systemic behavioral issues that you may have
that the symbols can help you kind of figure
out so knowing when when you're doing
procrastination or avoidance versus when
you've got a system that feels out of
control or confusing is is oftentimes
difficult and again the litmus test the the
way to figure that out at this point is to
try and start the task at hand with the the
smallest possible sort of action

Can take to move that conversation or that
activity or whatever forward as you do this
you'll find you'll get a better sensitivity
for when you are avoiding versus when you
are in need of further analysis and so even
if you don't necessarily resolve the
avoidant behavior right away just label it
hey I think I'm avoiding doing this or hey I
think I am going and having this snack
instead of working because I know I like
snacks and I know I don't want to do this
work 90% of the time as an aside once you
start to work it actually goes smoothly so
let that sort of initiative initiation that
start starting activation energy that you
have or that you need to summon make it
smaller by essentially breaking the stuff
down in the smaller steps and

Again the cultivate that awareness of when
you're avoiding versus when you are
productively unproductive or vice versa and
I think you'll find that

Find that it lets you use the higher order
cognitive tools of the Masonic symbols for
the deeper work and then the regular sort of
day-to-day activity you just develop again
some some better working habits and some
sort of proper labeling of your activity

See you next time