Why Procrastination Prevents You From Your True Desires
And how to manage your time more efficiently.
Why Do I Procrastinate?
I procrastinate big time when I feel overwhelmed. Can you relate? I also procrastinate when the weather is beautiful and I would rather be outside. Oh wait, is that procrastination or downright selfishness and lack of responsibility on my part? I would rather call it procrastination.
Sometimes I procrastinate when I know something is outside of my comfort zone.
It is easy to get caught up scrolling on social media, texting, or watching Tik Tok or You Tube videos. But ultimately, I know I am responsible for how I use my time. And, after all, time is a precious commodity.
Procrastination may be linked to time management, but I feel it also affects my health, relationships, and career.
How do I Manage my Time?
I learned a technique that I now use to help my clients, which is to draw a circle like a clock. Then label it with midnight at the top, 6am to the right, noon at the bottom, and 6pm to the left. In the center I list career, drive time, fun/ relaxation, social media, exercise, and sleep. I. color coordinate each activity with colored pencils or markers. I was astounded when I did this the first time and realized how much time I sheerly wasted. The point of this process though is to create awareness of how I spend my time.
Once I was aware of how little priority I was actually giving to the things like my career and my well-being, I started making changes.
I also set goals prioritizing what absolutely needs to get done and then filtering down to scrolling social media. I wake up earlier to create time for my yoga and meditation practice and I give myself small rewards when I knock out the things on my list that I dread.
In my recent move it would have been easy to procrastinate cleaning out my old house because I am already settled into my new townhouse. But instead, I scheduled the photographer to come within a couple days so that I could get my house on the market. In that case, my motivation to clean was to sell the house quickly.
So, what is my Point?
In order to prevent procrastinating, we must do the following:
- Find out what the motivating factors are
- Prioritize tasks
- Set small goals and attach rewards to the completion of those
I try to remind myself that the first step is simply getting started.
“My advice is never do tomorrow what you can do today. Procrastination is the thief of time.” ~ Charles Dickens
Why Procrastination is Detrimental
Leaving things until the very last minute of a deadline creates more anxiety and stress for me than preforming the task at hand. I often practice affirmations that help motivate me.
Affirmations to Create Confidence and Motivation
I am a magnet for success
I am dedicated to my goals
I avoid wasting time because my time is valuable
I am in control of my actions
What I do today will get me closer to my desired goals.
Conclusion
Procrastination happens for many reasons but remember that we are all in control of how we choose to spend our time. Each choice I make gets me one step closer to my desired outcome or one step further away. I have big dreams and aspirations and I know I need to get off my ass and work hard to make those dreams come to fruition. Building my confidence allows to face my tasks with courage and overcome self-limiting patterns.
My hope is that if you too procrastinate this might inspire you to stop putting off until tomorrow what you can do today. Dream really big and then dedicate your time according to your desired outcome.
Thank you so much for reading this. I value your time and I hope you feel inspired to accomplish your goals. Please comment and let me know how you feel about procrastination or any tips you may have to prevent procrastinating.
Peace & Light,
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I am a Personal Development and Relationship Coach specializing in emotional intelligence. I write to both process and heal myself as well as to awaken, inspire, and empower others to live the life you love. I am including a few of my previous articles below and I hope you enjoy them.