Beat the Procrastination Blues
by Kathy Gates
Ever find yourself delaying and delaying on something until it becomes
a crisis? That’s when Procrastination has taken charge of your life --
instead of YOU being in charge of your life.
Procrastination is as natural to human beings as eating. It’s easy to
do things we want to do, but the things we find difficult or
unpleasant are what we put off And sometimes delaying a little bit
here and there is not a big deal. But if procrastination is habitual
for you, and is causing things to happen in your life that you don’t
want to happen, it’s time for a new sheriff in town.
Simply, procrastination is just a habit of making the wrong choices.
It’s choosing to take a nap instead of mowing the lawn It’s deciding
to watch “Friends” instead of working out. It’s opting to socialize
with a co-worker instead of working on a project. It’s cleaning off
your desk instead of getting prepared for a meeting. It’s “I’ll do it
later”.
Now there’s nothing inherently wrong with any of these choices. As an
adult you have the luxury of choosing how you behave, and choosing
your own responsibilities. And we all have responsibilities that we
don’t particularly care for. But if you allow Procrastination to make
choices that aren’t good for you, or that you don’t really want to
make, then it’s time to put your Procrastination Buddy on a leash.
“Just Do It” may be a great marketing slogan, but in real life we
often need a little bit more to work with. To conquer Procrastination,
you will need to change the behavior that works against you achieving
the desired results. Remember that you are changing a habit, and it
will feel uncomfortable and unnatural at first. But with practice, you
can teach Procrastination that it is not welcome in your life. Here
are three ways to do this.
1. When you recognize a particular task is difficult for you and that
you continually put it off until the last minute, try designing a
system to handle it, instead of just “putting out the fire” when it
becomes a problem. For example, if you’re always putting off or
talking yourself out of your gym time, consider setting up a buddy
system, so that you know you’re going to meet someone. Or make a date
with someone to come over to your house to work out with you – a
trainer, or a friend. By doing this, you have set up a system that
will pull you forward when you’re willpower is low.
2. Determine if Procrastination is signaling you that you have made a
mistake in your choice. If you find it difficult to go to work in the
morning, perhaps you are in the wrong job. If you find that you don’t
want to go home in the evening after work, it may be that you are
living in a place that is not healthy for you. Don’t continue a
mistake. Admit the mistake to yourself first and others (if
necessary), and make the necessary arrangements to make it right. One
of my clients was a senior in college receiving a degree in Electrical
Engineering. He was having difficulty finishing projects, doing
homework, studying for tests. His parents believed that he was afraid
to go out into the “real world”. But as we talked, it became apparent
that he had never wanted to be an engineer and had allowed others to
make those choices for him. He was spending all his time working in a
restaurant where they were teaching him how to cook. As soon as he
recognized that he had made a mistake, he was able to tell his parents
how he really felt, and make the change to get the training to be a
chef.
3. We all have things we’re good at and things we prefer to do, and
Procrastination can also signal that it is task that you really don’t
like to do. Ask first, does it have to be done at all, and second,
does it have to be done by you. Consider delegating the task to
someone who would enjoy it, so that you can concentrate on things that
you would devote more creativity and energy to. Personally, I struggle
with keeping exercise in my life. So instead of learning things I
didn’t find interesting, I hired a trainer who shows me what to do and
helps me move forward consistently. I delegated that job to him, and
now, I don’t have to think about it anymore.
Finally, REWARD yourself for a job well done. This is very important
and a step that a lot of people ignore. A reward can come in any form
you choose, from a simple affirmation to yourself, to buying yourself
a treat. Realize that the ultimate reward for taming Procrastination
is that by being in control of what you do, and finding ways to do it
efficiently, you have given yourself more time to enjoy your life.
Kathy Gates, Professional Life Coach, works with people who are
unorganized, underappreciated, and lacking direction or focus on their
goals. She can be reached at www.reallifecoach.com, or call
480.998.5842.
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