15 Nov Procrastination Is Killing Your Dreams
How many times have you said or heard the phrase, “I’m a procrastinator” or “I’m procrastinating?” There should be a sea of hands raised high in the air. But what if I said I’d give you half a million dollars to meet me for coffee at 5:30 AM tomorrow morning? I’m no psychic, but you best believe those who raised their hands would do a little happy dance and arrive incredibly early for our caffeine date.
The point? Procrastination is some bogus ailment born into existence by our imaginations. Because rather than admitting to our shortcomings, laziness, or failures, we’d rather blame procrastination.
This illusion and lack of motivation is sabotaging your potential. When you don’t prioritize what you want – whether it’s to travel, exercise, advance in your career, start your own business, or build a relationship – your dreams will pass you by.
The classic excuse is, “someday.”
“Someday I’ll write a novel.”
“Someday I’ll start selling my handmade bracelets on Etsy.”
“Someday I’ll apply for medical school.”
After all, right now, there are more immediate things that demand your focus, like you haven’t finished binge-watching every Netflix original TV show ever created.
But, don’t worry. One day it’ll click. That magic moment when you say to yourself, “Now is the time.”
Someday it’ll happen, you’re sure of it…
As Tim Ferriss so epically says in his New York Times Best Seller, The 4-Hour Workweek:
“‘Someday’ is a disease that will take your dreams to the grave with you.”
So, how the heck do you overcome procrastination? Let’s take a deeper dive into why we procrastinate.
Over Here…Over There…Look, a Bird
When there’s a lack in structure or direction, whether it’s in your personal life or professional life, it decreases productivity and increases the desire to procrastinate. Without an actionable plan or a concrete decision in place, you’re essentially floating in a state of suspension, deprived of any forward movement.
At this point, your impulses dictate your actions and you become distracted by Instagram, texting, or something online that provides instant gratification. The design of your environment, accessibility to distractions, and a lack of a game plan will have you continuously leaning on procrastination as a crutch.
Let’s Not and Say We Did
Ahh…unpleasant tasks. Life’s little way of reminding us that #adulting is a real thing. When you have an aversion to things like laundry, exercising, or anything you deem uninteresting or boring, you’re going to do everything in your power to avoid doing it. So, how do you possibly muster up the motivation to get chores or other tasks done when you’d rather watch paint dry?
One approach is to divide and conquer. Rather than focusing on the larger goal, slice it down to a series of manageable, easy-to-complete tasks. Another strategy to consider is the “if-then” method. To execute, simply create a scenario that’ll automate your goals. For example, let’s say your goal is to write the next great American crime novel. Your “if-then” statement could look something like this: if I open up my laptop, I will dedicate an hour towards working on my book.
Time Waits for No One
Time is a funny thing. When it comes to procrastination the reward and subsequent consequences do not coexist, they’re separated by time. When gaps like these occur, it causes a conflict of interest between your present needs and goals versus your future ones.
Sounds complicated? Let me break it down. Let’s say you constantly smoke an ecig, so much so that it’s practically glued to your hand. However, after a slew of news reports surfaced warning of the dangers associated with the fad, you decide you want to quit. Technically, you can continue to have “one last pull” or “one last day” of smoking for years.
The solution? Tweak your long-term goals to accommodate more short-term rewards. If you love swimming laps before work but have gotten into the habit of hitting the snooze button on your alarm each morning because you’re dreading the cold water, shift your mindset to focus on the rewards. For you, the payoff may be the heightened energy and enhanced mood you get from exercising. Hold on tight to that feeling and remind yourself that it’ll ultimately power you through the day.
Feeling Incredibly Overwhelmed
There’s nothing worse than the smothering, suffocating feeling of being overwhelmed. When there’s a seemingly endless list of things to do, it can send us off the deep end. Instead of tackling what’s in front of us, we shift gears completely. And you wouldn’t believe how often we fall victim to this pattern until we start becoming conscious of our actions.
It looks a little something like this: you have an intricate financial report to devise on a tight deadline, a keynote presentation you need to prep for, and an upcoming 2-week European trip with a suitcase that isn’t going to pack itself. In the midst of all this, your phone buzzes and you see it’s an email of no real importance, but responding will require little brainpower and you spend the next 15-20 minutes crafting your reply.
Overwhelming tasks or simple email? Hmmm…let me weigh my options.
When life gets a bit hectic and we suddenly have a mountain of tasks sitting on our plates, the only way to break away from the spiral of distraction is to learn how to prioritize effectively. How we choose to spend our time is crucial – and ignoring what needs to get done will only elevate your stress.
I’m a big proponent of lists. Until you make one yourself, you will never know the blissful feeling of crossing off one of your to-dos. So, here’s my challenge to you: when you feel like your drowning in work (or even just general crap you need to get done), create a list. Writing everything that’s crammed into your head down on paper will not only take away some of the pressure you’re feeling, but it’ll also help you organize tasks in order of importance.
Remember, it’s never going to be easy. But, taking the first step is how you’ll reach the finish line.
You Suffer from Anxiety
Anxiety is uncomfortable. And it can surface anywhere, anytime. When you’re anxious about an activity, event, or task, in particular, it’s human nature to use avoidance as a coping mechanism. Oftentimes, the fear of failure leads to procrastination. Think about it: if you feel like a walking advertisement for stress, your first instinct will be to postpone whatever is causing unwanted tension.
Rather than focus on the more urgent, challenging tasks, procrastinators place an emphasis on immediate rewards, disregarding future repercussions. Constantly battling stress and anxiety can be detrimental to your health. You can try meditating, different breathing techniques, or see a professional who can equip you with the tools you need to overcome anxiety and stop procrastinating.
Has Anyone Seen My Confidence? I Must’ve Misplaced It
Our level of self-confidence can impact a multitude of areas in our lives. For example, when faced with something difficult, poor self-confidence can cause you to doubt your ability to pull off the task at hand. When you believe in yourself and your capabilities, you’ll keep pushing forward despite hindrances or hiccups.
Every single person who is reading this has value. You are worthy. You are capable. It may take some work to fully shift your mindset and strengthen your self-confidence, but when you do, it’ll open up a whirlwind of opportunities to acquire new skills, meet new people, and expand your knowledge.
You’re a Perfectionist
I’m not going to lie: there are times when being a perfectionist can work in your favor. However, more often than not, it can hinder your success and ability to move forward. When you’re a perfectionist, you may be tempted to delay tackling certain projects or tasks purely because of your trepidation over the outcome – a.k.a. you’re legit freaking out that your end result won’t be perfect.
When do things ever work out exactly as you envisioned in your mind? Outside factors that are out of your control can alter intended outcomes. And, guess what? That’s okay. No one is 100% on their game every second of every day. It’s the missteps that frequently lead to valuable learnings and greater success. Always remember: your work or actions may not be perfect in the end, but a completed task is certainly better than an uncompleted one.
I’m So Tired…Is That a Sheep?
Does your procrastination come knocking at certain times during the day? The reason flexible work hours became such a buzzword among employers is that our bodies and minds weren’t built to work for eight hours straight each day. If we did, we’d become burnt out – which can negatively impact our health.
As your ability to concentrate begins to wane, you’ll find yourself becoming easily distracted – your mind wandering all over the place. You need a breather. This is perfectly normal. What’s more, science shows a correlation between a condensed work week and higher productivity levels. When you find yourself losing focus, take a quick walk, get some fresh air, or switch up what you’re doing to revive your energy.
The Time is Now
Habitual behavior, like procrastination, can be changed over time with practice. Stop waiting for tomorrow. Start now. You’ll be thankful you did.
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