Beating The Thief of Time
By Sheila Hawkins

We all procrastinate from time to time for some reason or another and it’s usually with the things we don’t have an interest in doing.  Sometimes it’s the small stuff that we procrastinate on and for some of us, procrastination happens on a regular basis.  This is the point when it takes a toll on our lives and keeps us from doing what we really want to.

Procrastination is one of the biggest reasons people fail to reach their goals and is the number one cause of stress.  Stress is caused by leaving too many things undone.  Continually putting things off creates considerable stress that eventually shows up as fatigue.  But it doesn’t stop there.

When we look at the things we put off, we can see how much of our energy is being drained by the stress associated with putting those things off.  The time, energy and emotion that are spent agonizing over feeling guilty about putting something off can escalate to the point of having physical symptoms.  Research has shown that this prolonged stress can contribute to anxiety attacks, ulcers and can get as serious as high blood pressure and even heart conditions.  Procrastination can impact your life in other ways.  Something as simple as putting off opening the mail can have many negative results; missing events, due dates and deadlines can impact your household and your business or work environment in greater ways.
 
Additionally, it can impact those around you.  Your procrastination may keep your coworkers from completing projects on time or from doing their job.  It may even keep the company you work for from delivering on a project on time or at all, depending upon the role that you play.  The price that one pays personally is that of a bruised reputation.  Coworkers come to see the procrastinator as someone who doesn’t deliver on time or as someone who doesn’t have good work ethics.  This will, no doubt, have a negative impact.

Let’s look at the various reasons people procrastinate:

Poor work habits-If you fail to plan, you plan to fail.  We’ve all heard this before and it’s just as true now as it ever was.  Planning your day sets you up for success.  Creating a to-do list, blocks of time in your calendar and utilizing other time management tools as part of a system give structure and supports you in accomplishing the things that you want to get done.

Various types of fear-Different types of fear come into play when it comes to procrastination.  Far of judgment, making a mistake or the wrong decision, the unknown, and even fear of success show up around procrastination.  We have to remember what fear really is: false evidence appearing real. (F.E.A.R.) Ask yourself what you’re afraid of and what would really happen if your worst fear came true.  The truth of the matter is that if it did, everything would be okay after making a mistake or bad decision.  Identify the fear to get your power back, and face it head on.

Overwhelm-This tends to be the primary reason people procrastinate.  Something seems so big and impossible to complete that it stops you cold in your tracks.  We get so caught up that we don’t realize that overwhelm is a conversation; a conversation that takes place in our heads.  It’s not a “thing”; it’s not real.  We get ourselves worked up over the chatter that goes on within ourselves and that’s where the emotion comes into play.  It’s not overwhelm that is the emotion; the conversation brings on the emotion that we experience.  The best way to deal with overwhelm is to know what you want the end result to be and break the project down into smaller pieces that are more manageable and take the project one step or piece at a time, much like eating a meal.  As you work your way through the project, remember that overwhelm is just a conversation.

Perform better under pressure-Some people thrive on that last minute rush but this practice doesn’t work for anyone.  Other things get in the way while you’re working on that last minute project; stress comes into play and can turn into panic.  You don’t finish on time and those who are looking for the finished product experience disservice.  Think about the end result and what will happen if you keep putting it off.  Set interim deadlines and set your final deadline a few days prior to the actual deadline and ask someone to check in on your progress. 

Rather be doing something else-We put off the tings we least like to do.  They might be things we don’t like to do but, no matter how much we don’t like to do them, they are things that have to be done.  Find a way to make the best of it; delegate if you can so that you can focus on other important tasks.  If that’s not possible, make the task more enjoyable in some way.  Don’t let things pile up; that experience will be truly unpleasant. 

Procrastinating for any of these reasons impacts you and others and over time it can be devastating. One can clearly see that procrastination can impact our health, home and work lives, coworkers and our families.  No matter how severe the procrastination, it can be remedied.  To eliminate procrastination, begin by looking for the indicators, then get to the type of procrastination and the reasons you’re doing so.  Having the understanding of the type of procrastination you’re doing and seeing the impact on your life opens the door for you.  Getting to the reasons you’re doing it is the key to resolving it once and for all. 

Are you ready to take action but you’re not sure what to look for or the reasons why you’re procrastinating?  Click here to gain access to a free report on the indicators, types of procrastination and reasons why people procrastinate.  Remember, it’s about managing yourself; realizing the undesirable habits and replacing them with habits that support you.

©2010 Sheila Hawkins

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