PROCRASTINATION

If you feel deeply passionate about achieving a certain goal then nothing should be able to stop you from reaching it.

How many of us actually complete projects? Why do we put things off until tomorrow? I know someone who was still sewing her wedding dress two hours before her wedding! Why do we constantly create crises in our lives through incomplete projects?

We don’t always put something off because we are not able to perform the task. We may put it off because—for some reason—we do not want to do it.

Here are some of the reasons why people put off jobs that they can actually do:

Fear of failure: You would rather not attempt the task because if you fail and others find out it would destroy you, so you don’t even try.

Anger: When you are angry with someone, you often don’t want to perform at your best.

Frustration: Feelings of frustration involving the task in hand—or even from other causes—can bring all your efforts to a standstill.

Boredom: You don’t really want to do something any more, because you’ve lost interest in it.

Obstacles: Some problems seem too hard to overcome, so you just give up.

Low self-esteem: Feelings of inadequacy may prevent you from completing a project.

Lack of knowledge or skill: You don’t know how to perform the task, but you don’t want to admit this, so you give up instead of asking for help.

Not enough time: The project will take too long, so you stop doing it.

If you want to stop procrastinating you will need to take responsibility for your non-performance. Tomorrow isn’t another day. There is no tomorrow; what we have is the present. The effort you make today will determine your success tomorrow—in every aspect of your life.

If you catch yourself procrastinating you need to stop and ask yourself why you’re doing it. Be brutally honest with yourself about your reasons. Once you have admitted what the obstacle is (yes, you really do know—we always do), write down ideas of how to overcome it. Ask yourself what would have to happen or what you would need to do to move forward and complete the task successfully. Then take action and complete the task.

Decide (it really is a choice!) to do all the necessary tasks and activities you’ve been avoiding for so long. This can make a huge difference to your achievements, confidence, self-esteem, mood and feelings of self-worth. Create your own success by taking responsibility—and action!

ELSABÉ MANNING