Procrastination - It's Like Having a Tenant That Never Pays the Rent!

Winning over the relentlessness of procrastination is critical in your personal and professional development. The practice of procrastination robs you of opportunity, creativity and inspiration. It is often one of the greatest contributors to stress and pressure. Procrastination can cause us to feel overwhelmed and burdened. Consider for a moment how many excuses you have made to justify inactivity? Whether you are a small business owner, a leader in your industry or simply looking to create a life of vitality and balance, procrastination is stealing your energy. No matter what your goal is, avoiding taking action is pulling you further and further away from what you really want.

For several years, I burned both ends of the candle in an effort to grow my business and balance my responsibilities as a patrol officer and mother. Somewhere along the way, I believed that I was 'Superwoman' - capable of effectively managing all three (essentially full time jobs). As demands on my time increased, I slept less, ran harder and pushed myself to perform. I struggled with the shift work and the demands of my business. Friends and family saw less and less of me as time went on. I convinced myself that I could do it all - until I couldn't anymore. I crashed. I took a week off and began to evaluate where I had placed my priorities. Where was procrastination having the greatest impact in my life? I had been running full out, but what was I accomplishing? Were my efforts aligned with my most important goals? Had I even defined what I wanted most?

I realized I had developed a wonderful set of excuses which I kept handy when friends inquired what it would take for me to slow down. I actually took great pride in my ability to juggle so many priorities at one time - a great multi-tasker I thought. None of those excuses were serving me or my quest for excellence. I took a breath and started listening to my own advice. I stopped pretending I was in control. I took time to identify some clear objectives which would assist me in choosing a direct path towards my own success. I asked myself - what do I love doing and how can I do more of it? I created a pros and cons list of the two careers which I was tenuously balancing. I evaluated the impact on my family and my own emotional health. Working that process helped me develop some substantial clarity - the choice was clear. I needed to leave the safety net of my government job and take a leap of faith in the direction of my dreams!

If it time for you to come to terms with where your focus is hiding and develop your own plan for preventing procrastination, then you have finally come to the realization that procrastination is your STRESS! Although in the end your plan may be more complex then this, having a starting point offers some huge benefits:

1. Reframe your focus - if you are avoiding starting or completing a project. Think to yourself - this is not a task 'I MUST do'; this is a task that 'I CHOOSE to do'! Altering your emotional state in this way can assist you in developing the energy you need to be positive and pro-active on the project.

2. Chunk it Down - Adopt the philosophy that you don't have to necessarily complete the project today - you just have to get started. I learned this from my son who almost did not graduate. Upon realizing that avoiding classes (and failing to turn in course assignments) had left him needing to complete 5 correspondence modules in the span of one month. He was overwhelmed by the prospect and began to shut down, feeling it was an impossible task. Together we developed a strategy of breaking the process into time sensitive and manageable pieces. Rather than looking at the whole picture, we looked at one module at a time. As a result, (and with a lot of guidance and support from his teacher and parents), he successfully completed all 5 modules in 2.5 weeks. WOW!

3. Remember: Perfection is God's Business - Excellence you can strive for. If you wait for everything to be perfect, it never will be. When tackling a project, focus on making it good, not perfect. There is no such thing as perfect. Even if there was, you could never achieve it every single time. Despite your desires to the contrary, you are, after all, only human.

4. Make Time to Celebrate - When tackling a project, think to yourself "I am not depriving myself of fun, I am allowing myself the opportunity to have fun while completing this task". When you finish a project that you have put off for a while, celebrate your victory. All successful people take time to celebrate and recognize their accomplishments. If you constantly run from task to task, you will begin to feel overwhelmed and disillusioned by it all. Consider the relief that my son felt walking across the stage to collect his hard-earned diploma and know....he earned the right to celebrate this achievement!

5. Focus on the Goal - Look at every project, no matter how big or small, as an opportunity for you to achieve your own goals. Make delivering on the promises you make to yourself (or your team) about honouring your own personal state of excellence.

Much of the process of changing your habit of procrastination is entirely dependent on changing your mind set. Prove to yourself that you want to do better by beginning the process of eliminating distractions:

Re-organize your work space to minimize disturbances.

When working on a time sensitive project, DO NOT answer your phone - it will only pull your creativity away from the project.

Develop a filing system that allows you to find information and materials that you need quickly and efficiently.

Keep your work space clean and uncluttered - it will help you focus on the job at hand.

Of all the skills to master, determination and persistence are two of the most important. You can have a perfect game plan but if you lack persistence, you may as well forfeit the game before you even start to play. Each time you abandon a goal before it has been completed, you give up a little more of what you have the right to expect. Ultimately, you will lose all faith in your ability to achieve the life you truly desire.

Is your dream, your future, your success worth the effort to locate the tenacity and determination hidden away inside of you? If procrastination has taken up permanent residency in your life, then make a commitment to change that TODAY! Take control and begin living your life with purpose.

Faith Wood is a behaviour management specialist. She provides practical, effective tools which increase productivity, efficiency and personal relationships in almost any situation. Visit her website at http://www.imind.ca to learn how Faith and Inspiring Minds Consulting can benefit you.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Faith_Wood

Okechukwu Donald Chigbu,Empowers people for success and wealth creation.
Visit his site at www.okeychigbu.com
He is also the founder www.reachouttoall.com, a ministry to a godly and successful life.