Procrastination is a Prison – and you hold the key!
Procrastination is a prison built out of denial, delay, frustration and failure. But you don’t have to stay stuck there.
It may feel like a prison – but in reality, you ALWAYS have the key right in your hand!
Overcoming procrastination requires more than efficiency tools. You need to go deeper to get at the roots of this time thief. You’ll become more effective with your time as you develop successful strategies for recognizing and resolving the conflicts (both internal and external) that so often fuel procrastination.
Procrastination Prison-The Basics
Here’s a situation that may sound familiar:
Do you sometimes find yourself feeling resentful at work or at home? And do you notice that this smoldering resentment can lead to behaviors that thwart your goals and ultimately undermine you? For example, have you ever procrastinated about a task or project that everyone was counting on you to complete? It feels awful, but if you dive under the surface, you may find that there was a pay-off buried in the behavior.
If that’s the case, don’t get down on yourself. Avoid the additional traps of rationalizing, blaming others, or deciding you’re a terrible person. These things just add to the self-sabotage and deprive you of even more of your valuable time!
Instead, validate yourself for being willing to explore the roots of your procrastination – it’s a big step!
And as your next step, use these 3 time tips to translate your procrastination into effectiveness — enhancing your productivity and self-esteem.
3 Time Tips
1. Face Yourself Squarely: If anger is driving your counter-productive time choices, don’t judge yourself. Just monitor your internal muttering. You may notice familiar messages like:
- “I don’t want to!” This is your bratty resistance speaking. How old are you when you say this? Try picturing yourself at age three, scowling, hands on hips, stamping your foot.
- “I don’t have to! You can’t make me!” You may be a little bit older here, voicing rebellion. But step back and ask yourself if you are truly supporting yourself or just proving you can say no to another person’s request?
- “I forgot!” This is a more insidious response, defying someone you’re angry at by undermining the project. You may do this two ways, either completing your task late or never completing it at all. No matter what, this always leads to a loss of trust.
2. Recognize the ‘Payoffs’ of Procrastination and See Them for What They Are: Your power to use time productively depends on identifying and changing your motivation. If you haven’t owned up to what drives your choice to procrastinate, explore these questions now and see what emerges. Ask yourself:
- Do you enjoy holding things up?
- Do you feel you can’t say no to a task, but you can drag your heels about doing it?
- Is your delaying tactic sending a message you can’t say aloud?
- What are some other payoffs that come to mind?
3. Use These Strategies to Stop Procrastinating:
- Identify the situation you resent. Be specific. You can’t control or change others’ personalities, but you can exercise power in your situation by relating more responsibly. One thing you can do is brainstorm alternatives. You may find solutions that work for everyone.
- Develop assertiveness. Negotiate directly and appropriately. As you work at this you’ll become more skillful at setting boundaries and resolving conflicts.
- Step into your power! Envision how much power you can exercise over your life. Make these images specific and concrete. Practice looking to yourself to make your life work.
Procrastination Prison — Another Key to Freedom for You
Ending procrastination and letting go of its imagined pay-offs eases tensions at work, at home, and inside of you. It is also one of the most direct and effective paths toward increasing your real power and finding time!
And for more help with your procrastination challenges, I invite you to check out my accessible and immediately actionable E-Guide Book titled “I Don’t Know Where to Start!” How to Stop Stalling, Get Clear, and Turn Procrastination into Productivity.
“I Don’t Know Where to Start!” offers practical exercises to help you identify your own unique brand of procrastination. And it provides insights to help you successfully address what you discover.
That’s the good news! You really can make conscious choices about your time and how to use it. And you really can change old habits and patterns. Using the tools and skills you’ll learn in “I Don’t Know Where to Start” you’ll get started and keep going!
So, to learn more about this powerful E-Guide Book and its accompanying bonuses, just click this link.
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