Why do we Procrastinate?

Today, with the abundance of modern life offers us, it tends to overwhelm us. We can do so much, yet we often do nothing.

Procrastination is one of the biggest dream killers. In a world with so much demand for our attention, it is becoming more and more difficult for us to stay focused and act on the things that would give us a quality of life.

We are constantly chasing over time, and it never seems like we will ever catch up. When we fail to catch up, we fall into the trap of procrastination. We find every reason not to be able to do things we know we should be doing. We turned the “now action” to “wait” or “later.”

In life, we all know that time is and was, and always will be our most valuable asset, and we all have the same amount of time regardless of who we are and what we do for a living. The only difference is how one uses it, which will determine what we create or fail to create with and for our life.

Procrastination is the thief of time. It is the cancer of possibility. It is the enemy of progress. And it is the single biggest obstacle standing between you and the life you want to live.

There isn’t enough time to do everything, but there is always enough time for the most important things. Success at anything in life, whether it be our career, relationship, finances, or health, requires an investment of time and effort. Finding an effective strategy for overcoming procrastination is critical if we truly want to push past short-term obstacles to create a life of fulfillment.

Overcoming Procrastination

The first step in overcoming procrastination is getting clear on what we want from every area of our life. Clarity will give us the power to look past distractions that may throw us off course. It provides us with a direction and a focus, which will help to build a mental picture of our desired results.

Once we have the clarity, we can start questioning our motives. Are we procrastinating because we are afraid of failure? Are we procrastinating because we are afraid of success? Are we procrastinating because we are comfortable with the status quo?

Next, we need to develop a strong reason why we want it—knowing our why will give us a sense of purpose and motivation to stay focused long-term. Follow through with the quickest ways to overcome procrastination by utilizing the power of immediacy.

• What can we do immediately?
• What action can we take right now to move us closer to our goal?

It does not matter how small; taking that immediate action to do something will break our mental pattern of procrastination. It pushes and wires our brain to take control to complete the task and create the momentum of “action,” which drives us to our next step.

Don’t wait for everything to be perfect before we take that first step—the key to knowing what’s next often comes from the first action steps. There will never be a “right time.” but only the excuse to put off taking that first step. The more we procrastinate, the harder it becomes to take that first step, and the further we will be away from our goals.

Breaking the Procrastination Habit

If you find yourself procrastinating and unsure where to begin, begin with the following:

1. Break the task into smaller, more manageable pieces.
2. Set a time limit for each task.
3. Get rid of distractions.
4. Find a support group or accountability partner.
5. Use a positive reinforcement system.
6. Be kind to yourself.
7. Remember that you are not perfect and that mistakes are part of the learning process.
8. Keep a sense of humor.
9. Persevere and don’t give up.

There are many strategies and skills we can use to overcome procrastination. We don’t have to be stuck or spinning our wheels. Like any skill, we need to learn and practice it until we get good at it. Eventually, it will become an automatic response, and we will develop the habit of taking action despite our fears and apparent limitations.

This could also mean hiring a coach or mentor, telling a friend or family member about our goals, or joining a support group. Knowing that someone else is counting on us to follow our goals can be a powerful motivator too.