There could be many aspects related to procrastination, let’s explore a few of them.
1. Too much to do.
You’re a creative person (too many ideas) or you have too many things to do, and your time is limited. Does it look like procrastination, if you just can’t do have time for everything you want?! Prioritize by importance (keeping in mind long term objectives as well) and urgency, and make a list. Take action on those items that have a higher position on your list, and leave aside the guilt that might come with not getting too much done (you did what you could). Yep, you might still have to postpone some actions… but make it a practice to reassess your list from time to time.
2. Internal blockage.
You really want to do something, but you find reasons for not doing it. Is it something blocking you? Maybe one or more limiting beliefs and assumptions about how to achieve it, or why. By checking in this area and removing those internal limitations you’ll get a “freeway” to achieving what you want. Well, you still have to take actions to get there, but you’ll be more committed to do them.
3. Lack of motivation.
Is that procrastinated action in the category “I should/ I have to”?
Question to ponder: Does this action really help you to get where you want? If not, maybe you want to reconsider it, instead of just taking for grant what others say or you say to yourself.
If it’s not getting you where you want, but you still decide to take that action (for different reasons), find something useful about it, something that attracts you about the results you might get. This will give you enough motivation to do it, instead of procrastinate it.
4. Not paying attention.
That’s an interesting one! How focused are you on what you really want? If that specific action, the one that you want to take, it’s out of your attention most of the time (you always find something more urgent to do), it doesn’t get done… and looks like procrastination. Put it in your agenda (to remind you of its importance), set aside some time for it, and schedule the other actions around it.
5. Tired.
When you are tired, your motivation and focus are suffering as well; you don’t have enough energy to do what you want and … you procrastinate. Take care of yourself: lack of sleep, too much effort are sabotaging you without even noticing. Give yourself a break.. you deserve it!
6. Guilt.
Do you feel guilty just thinking about doing that action? Check first where is this coming from: is it because the others made you feel guilty, or you think you don’t deserve it? Think again! If it is in alignment with who you really are and what’s important to you, put the guilt aside. In time, others people will understand why you did it… or if not, does it really matter since you feel good about the results?
7. Delegating.
This applies to me too. 😉 It’s important to delegate the things that others can do better and with less effort than you do, so you can free your time to do the things that you do the best (and get paid well in return). Don’t waste your time and try to do everything; you will end up procrastinating, and those might be exactly the actions that could bring you more profit (financial and psychological).
8. Passion.
Procrastination and Passion don’t get along together. When you loose the connection with who you are and what’s important to you, motivation goes away… and procrastination kicks in. Check out what’s missing!
Anything else that might help procrastinators? 😉
Gabriela
