When You Procrastinate, You Are Postponing a Better Future

You’ve committed to doing something, but you keep putting it off.

You come up with excuses for not doing what needs to be done, and you get frustrated when you don’t achieve your goals.

Procrastination isn’t about laziness; it’s about fear. When the task is too big, we put it off when we feel like we can’t face it. It’s an emotional problem.

Procrastination is the act of postponing or delaying actions. It can cause unnecessary stress for you and those around you.

Procrastination wastes your time, and it often leads to more work in the long run. What’s worse is that procrastination usually doesn’t go away on its own; it gets worse with time!

We all procrastinate at some point in our lives. But when it becomes chronic, you miss out on a better future. Or worse still, you put your life on hold because you stop doing what’s necessary to make progress.

We procrastinate because we think of the task ahead as a chore or unpleasant. It could also be that the job is too big to handle, or we feel like we’re not qualified enough to complete it.

Sometimes there is no immediate benefit or risk, so we are comfortable putting things off.

Some people put off tasks because they don’t feel like they have the time or energy needed to complete them, while others put things off because of fear or self-doubt.

Procrastination isn’t just a bad habit.

It can be a debilitating condition that seriously impacts your life by affecting your relationships, work, and mental health. The key to overcoming it is to understand the reasons behind procrastination and fix them.

Whatever your reason for procrastinating, there are many ways to stop it.

These are common ways to overcome your procrastinating habit

1) Recognize the thoughts and feelings that cause you to delay.

2) Set a realistic deadline for the task you’re putting off to avoid overloading yourself with too much stuff to do.

3) Break up your task into smaller, more manageable tasks: so small you won’t even think about procrastinating.

4) Reward yourself after completing each task or set of tasks.

5) Find someone else who can hold you accountable for completing your work on time so that there are consequences for any missed deadlines.

Procrastination is a double burden

“If you take too long in deciding what to do with your life, you’ll find you’ve done it.” ― George Bernard Shaw

When you procrastinate more often, you double or multiply the tasks that require your attention. It makes today’s work even harder to do tomorrow.

Chronic procrastinators lose the day’s success, delay their goals and stand in their own progress. You can’t save time to spend it tomorrow.

Procrastination can also lead to stress, guilt, and even depression.

If you feel like your work is overwhelming and you cannot find a way to finish it, break it down into tiny manageable tasks.

Tackle that big project one small task at a time.

When you feel like procrastinating, take on one micro action at a time. Aim to make progress, no matter how small. Every action counts.

“It is easier to resist at the beginning than at the end,” Leonardo da Vinci said.

Action has momentum. Start small, and the progress will carry you through.

We all procrastinate from time to time. But for some people, it’s an everyday habit that negatively impacts their lives.

They miss out on their own growth.

“In your actions, don’t procrastinate. In your conversations, don’t confuse. In your thoughts, don’t wander. In your soul, don’t be passive or aggressive. In your life, don’t be all about business,” Marcus Aurelius once said.

People who delay or postpone essential actions are also wasting time.

A better life tomorrow is on the other side of procrastination. Whatever you do, don’t allow procrastination to stand in the way of your progress.

—

This post was previously published on MEDIUM.COM.

***

You Might Also Like These From The Good Men Project

You Said ‘Race’, but Are You Actually Talking About Race?

Understanding the Nonbinary: Are You Confusing Gender With Sex?

The Difference Between Compassion for Those With Disabilities & Ableism?

‘Masculinity’ Is Having an Identity Crisis

—

Photo credit: iStock.com