Life Reflections

We’ve all done it. Returned a friend’s phone call two weeks late-guilty.
Decided to get fit and healthy-starting tomorrow. Chances we’re a procrastinator.
There is a little bit of procrastinator in all of us.
Everybody has one bugbear, one pet hate, and there is nothing wrong with putting off something until tomorrow.
But if you are going to put something off, give it a deadline. Make an appointment with yourself to ensure it gets done.
Procrastination can become an art form for some.
Typically procrastinators are brilliant at making excuses. We blame the weather, we blame our partners, we blame our families-anybody but ourselves.
So is procrastinating the same as lying?
In a way, yes. What you are doing is lying to yourself. You are deceiving and deluding yourself as to why things don’t happen.
However, people often have quite valid reasons for delaying a task.
It might be that they have a lack of information-they want to make a decision but they may not have done enough research.
Or something physical gets in the way, like a machine breaking down.
Others adopt a ‘wait-and-see’ policy, for instance putting off buying a house in the hope that prices will drop.
Then there are the self-doubters who worry they won’t be good enough, and finally those who are into ‘discomfort dodging’-putting something off because it is not pleasant.
Of the five delaying excuses, the last two are classic signs of procrastination.
Procrastination is like a disease – it spreads and becomes part of your life. Once you start delaying one thing it affects something else, and pretty soon your whole life can become one big to-do list.
Unfortunately, the more we avoid things, the worse it gets.
If we are not coping with small things in life, it can build up to the point where everything becomes overwhelming, which can lead to health problem such as depression.
But there is hope.
The trick is to tackle projects one little step at a time.
Look around at what is not working in your life and ask yourself why.
If you do something once and it does not work, why would you make the same mistake again? Do it differently next time.
Break that bad habit before it starts and it won’t become something that you want to put off.
The key is to be realistic and don’t expect too much of yourself.
And once your procrastinating is done with, you’ll be amazed how much better you’ll feel.
It frees up your time and stops that annoying guilt.

Life coach counselor Jacquie Wise.

Filed under: Inspirational, Reflections, words of wisdom