Is This the Dumbest and Most Common Cause of Procrastination?

You’re feeling focused: there’s no doubt in your mind. You REALLY want to give up smoking: your health, the cost of the cigarettes, the bad breath, the smell of the smoke on your clothes, you’re sick of it!

You’ve been here before though, you’ve given up many times, but your willpower always disappears in a puff of smoke. This time you HAVE to make it work. But wait a minute: your job is SO stressful, there’s no way you can give up. Maybe, when you’ve changed jobs, then you’ll give up.

Yes, Yes, Yes, that’s it! … the euphoric, light bulb moment, you’re a genius, a total legend. When you’ve changed jobs, you won’t have this stressful job anymore, so you won’t have to deal with your cretinous boss and your lazy colleagues who spend more time off-sick then they do at work … and at that point, with your new job, where you’re fully appreciated by a lovely boss and supported by a committed team, that will be the time to give up smoking. What a fantastic plan. Pat yourself on the back!

WHEN I move to the Caribbean, THEN I’ll be happy … LIAR

WHEN I’m rich, THEN I’ll be generous … LIAR

WHEN my kids grow up, THEN I’ll leave this abusive relationship … LIAR

When & Then: the dumbest cause of procrastination.

We assure ourselves that we’ll take action on something we’d like to achieve, but only after a future milestone has been reached. This makes us feel like we have our goal under control, whilst also justifying why we can’t start achieving it today.

Ask yourself:

Could a seasoned barrister rip my argument for delaying to pieces? If so, you could be under the spell of When & Then and in which case, follow my awesome, 3-step plan, which I’m sharing in this blog for free and as a special bonus:

1) Buy a whole fish from the fishmonger (not a fillet, maybe a salmon) and slap it round your face three times.

2) Repeat the mantra: “I am no longer a liar, I choose to live in truth”. Repeat it at least 400 times.

3) Stop lying, then don’t take action or do take action, but quit the lies.

If a seasoned barrister couldn’t rip your argument for delaying to pieces because your reasons genuinely stack up to form a compelling objection, then this might be just one of those rare exceptions to the rule. Occasionally, there are things in life, which are better off ‘parked’ for the moment, but with a definite commitment to check back on whether it’s time to take off the handbrake and move into first gear.

In most cases however, if you’re serious about achieving something:

JUST DO IT NOW … NO EXCUSES … START WORKING TOWARDS IT TODAY!

A BETTER DAY IS NEVER COMING, THERE WILL ALWAYS BE STRESSES AND STRAINS: IT’S CALLED DAILY LIFE!

FROM THE DAY YOU’RE BORN TO THE DAY YOU DIE, THERE WILL ALWAYS BE REASONS TO NOT TAKE ACTION AND REASONS TO TAKE ACTION. THE CHOICE IS YOURS!

—

This post was previously published on Medium and is republished here with permission from the author.
—

◊♦◊