Procrastination- 4 Essentials for Breaking Through
"I have learned that most regrets come from the things I
DIDN'T do. I have learned that regret lasts forever." Simply
Brilliant
Procrastination- putting off what you can do today until
tomorrow. 7 years, 5 months, and 2 days later you're wondering
why you never started that book. It would have been completed.
You could be reaping the rewards and writing full time. You see
yourself sitting on the garden patio of your dream home
surrounded by towering palms and luxurious flowers. As the ocean
breeze glides across your face the telephone rings. You made the
Best Seller List. In regret the vision is bright. In
procrastination it's doom and gloom. Back in the present you may
be saying, "There's too much competition. No one will publish my
book". What if you flip flop the picture so you are pulled
towards the intense vision you had in regret like it was a
magnet. Why not create that vision sooner rather than later.
Procrastination leads to stress, poor health, and regrets that
last for life. Action results in fulfillment, life experience,
and wisdom. Get the 4 steps to break through procrastination
below.
Step 1- What are you procrastinating on? Is it
appropriate to hold off or irrational postponement? Will this
make a positive impact in your life? Choose the area that you
will stop procrastinating and make a renewed commitment.
Step 2- Discover the source to find the solution.
Consider when your car doesn't start. You look for the source of
the problem. When you find the source it is easy to take action
to make the repair. Look behind procrastination to find what is
restraining you. It may be an unpleasant task, lack of interest,
someone else's goal, a large overwhelming project, fear, poor
time management, or indecision. Be brutally honest and get to
the source.
Step 3- Based on the source; decide if this is a goal you
want to keep. If so, choose a strategy that feels good to you.
It may mean developing new habits. Discover the source and set
up the strategy in a way that you know you will take action.
Here are some possible sources and solutions to get your ideas
flowing:
An Unpleasant Task/ Lack of Interest- Schedule it at the
beginning of the day so it is not hanging over your head all day
long. Think of how great you will feel to have it done. Reward
yourself when you follow through.
Someone Else's Goal- Set a boundary...say no or accept
only the part of the job that you feel good about. If you can
not say no (ex. employment situation) then you may choose to
follow the above solution.
A Large Overwhelming Project- Break the project into
small manageable tasks. What part can you do? What can you
delegate? What is the first step? What daily steps can you take?
A great solution for decluttering!
Lack of Focus Due to Multiple Projects- Prioritize the
projects then break them down into small manageable tasks as in
the step above. Focus on completion of one project at a time.
Fear- What is the fear telling you? Is it valid or an
irrational assumption? Usually what we anticipate doesn't occur.
Picture the ideal end result. Affirmations and visualization can
help. Focus on how great you will feel simply for having the
courage to try. As Eleanor Roosevelt says, "you gain strength,
courage, and confidence by every experience in which you stop to
look fear in the face. Your must do the thing which you think
you cannot do."
Poor Time Management- Schedule a block of time daily or
weekly to work only on this project. Keep the appointments.
Begin with small blocks of time (whatever you can commit) until
you are consistently keeping the appointments. Then consider
committing more time.
Indecision- When you don't know what to do set a deadline
to make up your mind. Then get whatever support and information
you need to be able to make an educated decision.
Step 4- Hold an intense vision- Think of that clear,
exciting picture that shows up in regret. Allow that to pull you
towards it. You have great capabilities when you take action,
even if it's learning in action. Focus on how great you will
feel when you go for it! After all, it is through the journey
that the great and memorable moments take place. What project
will you stop procrastinating on? The first action I will take
by _____ (date) is __________________________________(action).
Starting Now! Copyright 2006, Beth A. Tabak, All rights
reserved.