“Procrastination is the thief of dreams” – Brian Tracy
Most of us have had experience with procrastination. I intended on writing this blog two days ago… yet here I am, under the gun.
But chronic procrastination…that’s a serious barrier to your true potential. It is a vulgar assassin of possibility. It curbs your creativity, crumbles your efficiency and steals your opportunities. It holds you back from your promised success.
We recognize procrastination as a ubiquitous villain to the human experience…there are over 600 procrastination books for sale as self-help guides with more than 120 new books published in the last year.
We realize the problem. Studies have found that procrastinators carry accompanying feelings of guilt, shame, or anxiety with their decision to delay.
When we procrastinate we substitute worrying for work.
We have seen procrastination rear its ugly head… and kept some of us from sending out that resume for the job we really wanted… kept us from getting the taxes in on time… scheduling appointments… writing that book that is in us…completing that project that was so important… sending out those thank you cards …
It did not let us put in the time to prepare…to develop…to complete the way we are capable and blessed: procrastination dulls the luster of our potential and sullies the shine of our prospects.
Procrastination is a self-inflicted wound chipping away at our most valuable resource in the world—TIME. Overcoming and defeating procrastination is truly a vital behavior to be pursued and achieved.
Defeating procrastination involves strategic planning of our life in recognition of the fact that, “we are responsible for our own choices and have the freedom to choose based on principles and values rather than moods or conditions.” (Stephen R. Covey, The 8th Habit)
“People who made goals with specification on when and where the task will be performed—were up to eight times as likely to follow through on their commitment, according to a study made at Hofstra University.
There is strength and power forged when intentional, documented goal setting takes place. With goal setting, there is an inherent commitment to beginning and completing.
Goal setting, when combined with coping strategies, takes the muscle out of procrastination. Try these coping strategies to short circuit your issues with procrastination:
- Organize to-do list by task importance
- Set time limits on yourself
- Get rid of distractions
- Create a reward system for completing big tasks
- Single-task rather than multi-task
- Break down bigger task into smaller portions
- Save your most exciting task for last
Take a minute to watch the video below…then get busy, opportunity beckons!