A key hurdle in accomplishing goals is procrastination. Procrastination can be defined as the process of consciously choosing to ignore or putting off important tasks that you should be working on right now, usually in favor of doing something that promises immediate gratification.
The obvious costs of procrastination are loss of financial income, losing opportunities, poor relationships, long work hours, bad lifestyle choices, frustration, resentment and finally missing out on living your life purpose.
So given the obvious discomforts associated with procrastination, what compels us to continue this behavior, and how can we deal with this?
1. Feeling Overwhelmed – There is simply too much to do, too many directions to follow, and too many thoughts cluttering your mind. Stop. Take a step back. The solution is not to plunge in and then struggle to come up for air, but to take conscious, deliberate, baby steps. Make a list to start with, ranking each task in order of importance.
2. Being lazy – Laziness is often a symptom and not the cause. Find out why you are feeling lazy. Address the root problem and get on to action.
3. Lack of willpower – Exercising your willpower is like exercising your muscles. You build it through consistent practice. Start with making small commitments and ensure you consistently practice them for at least 21 days.
4. Goals that aren’t exciting enough – Do your goals arouse passion, curiosity, and excitement? Do they make your toes curl up in anticipation? Do they create a burning desire? Having an exciting goal creates the adrenaline rush within you to brush past distractions and challenges.
5. Fear of failure –We procrastinate because we are scared of failure. In fact, perfectionists often become procrastinators because they are scared to create an imperfect product.
6. Dismiss distractions – Ignore all distractions that are irrelevant, purposeless, and energy-sapping. Before starting any important task, create a distraction-free atmosphere. Put your phone on voicemail, shut off the social media, and close the door.
7. Delegate – Sometimes we procrastinate at a task because we are simply not good at it. So instead of wasting valuable time figuring it out, delegate it to someone who is good at it.
Procrastination, like all habits, can be replaced with more productive behaviors with diligent and consistent actions.
The only time procrastination is wise is when you procrastinate the unimportant and replace them with important things.