Procrastinators sabotage themselves!
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Did you know that procrastinating comes at a very high price?
Procrastinators really do sabotage themselves and sabotage their personal development. Many put obstacles in their own path. Now I know that really sounds weird and the question one would ask is why on earth would anyone want to do that?
The simple answer is they don’t, that is, they don’t do it consciously the truth is they don’t even realize they do it.
The good news is that procrastinators are made and not born and that being the case means that procrastinating can be unlearned. Procrastination is learned whilst very young, it is one response to an authoritarian parenting style. Having harsh controlling parents can keep children from developing the ability to act on their intentions.
Procrastinators also justify not doing thing because they convince themselves by engaging in self talk that goes something like this:
“I’ll feel more like doing this tomorrow” or
“I work best under pressure” or better still they defend their non action by saying “This isn’t important anyway”
Procrastinators actively look for distractions especially ones that don’t take a lot of commitment on their part.
The sad truth is that Procrastinations comes at a big cost. Health is one as some develop insomnia and in addition procrastination has a high cost to others as well as to oneself because it shifts the burden of responsibility onto others, who in turn become resentful.
Procrastination destroys teamwork in the workplace and private relationship also suffer.
People procrastinate for many reasons some being:
- Fear of change
- Fear of Failure
- Perfectionism
- Disorganization
If you identify with any of these traits then you need to really analyze how you handle your workload and how you make decisions when it comes time to get things done.
If you find that you procrastinate to some degree now is a good time to decide to do something about it.
Once you have committed to this it is then time to get proactive.
Get yourself a journal or an exercise book will do and list some of the things that you have been planning to do but haven’t
Don’t make it too long a list you can always add to the list after you have completed the first list say at this stage write down no more than 5 tasks.
Then start by applying the following strategies.
Step 1 Take the first task on your list and create a vivid image of what it is like to have completed this task. Really create a vivid image seeing the benefits you are reaping, how good you will feel, the feeling of success. Hear what others will say to you when learning you have completed this task.
Visualize what you need to do, the process of actually working on the task. Visualizing this way will change your attitude towards the task. You will feel more energized towards completing the task.
Step 2 Make sure you don’t bite off more than you can chew. Before committing a task to your list ensure that you are being realistic about the time, cost interest and expertise that the task will require.
Step 3. If you find that you are stuck and don’t know what to do to finish the task. Get a piece of paper and brainstorm. Write out all the ideas that come to mind. Doing this can help you break through any block that you may have.
Don’t discount any idea at first. Remember brainstorming is just that getting out of your head all the clutter.
Step 4. Be prepared to tell someone that you intend to finish the task. By committing to a time frame you will become motivated.
Step 5 Break down the process into small simple and do able steps. Write the steps down and refer to them often. Work on your task regularly taking one step at a time.
This in itself will prevent procrastination from being triggered by the feeling of being overwhelmed by the sheer size of the task.
Step 6 If you find that you are avoiding working on the task or continually putting it off a good way to get back on track is to force yourself to work on the task for 10 minutes. Set a timer, this helps to jump start you into action. After 10 minutes take a break, do something else for an hour or two and then set yourself another 10 minutes doing the task.
Step 7 If you are a talented and ambitious person and you recognize that you are a chronic procrastinator it could be because you have a deep seated tendency towards perfectionism. This perfectionism can create an expectation that you must do the job perfectly the first time round.
This expectation creates stress, anxiety and perhaps the fear of failure.
This can cause you to put the task off indefinitely. The solution to this is to set the bar low. Remind yourself that you can always revise what you are doing. Also remind yourself that practice makes perfect.
The steps that I have just outlined when applied to your to do list will assist you in getting things done.
As you see yourself getting things done you will decrease anxiety, stress and depression and your self esteem will sky rocket.
You will also find that you will have a lot more time to spend on the more enjoyable things in life.
Now if you try to implement all the steps and you find that you just lack the will power to stick to them you can then consider the Stop procrastinating self hypnosis CD that I have recorded.
Don’t forget to download your FREE Ebook Defining Moments of Change.