What to do about Procrastination
By Tonda Adams, JD, CCHT |
Have you ever put off something that needed to be done and then felt guilty? Simply put, procrastination means “to put off intentionally and habitually” or “to put off intentionally the doing of something that should be done.” Do you know of anyone who has not procrastinated at some time in their lives? Procrastination is not always a bad thing. When it creates stress, guilt and even crisis in your life then it becomes a problem.
If you consistently put important things off until you have a crisis in your affairs and then feel stressed or guilty, you may need help. However, even the worst procrastinator does not procrastinate in every area of their life. In fact, there are activities you wouldn’t dream of procrastinating: watching a Super Bowl game or going to your favorite restaurant to eat your favorite food.
Procrastinators are made, not born. There are many reasons a child may grow up and label themselves as a procrastinator. One such reason is a response to an authoritarian and controlling parent, which keeps children from developing the will to regulate their own behavior; it can even be a form of rebellion.
Perfectionists may use procrastination to avoid failure because they feel they must do the job perfectly the first time, so they unconsciously put off starting a task. Perhaps you wait to the last minute before doing a task, and get embroiled in a kind of last minute rush; you are stimulated by working under pressure, or maybe you are someone who avoids the task for fear of success. Then there is the person who can’t make a decision, so procrastinating absolves them from responsibility for the outcome.
Procrastination is often caused by associating some form of pain or unpleasantness with the task you are considering. You can change the way you perceive the task by rewarding yourself with something fun after completion, thus anchoring pleasure instead of pain.
Aristotle said, “The end of labor is to gain leisure.”
If you have labeled yourself a procrastinator, and you believe you are a procrastinator, then, you will surely be a procrastinator. Your UNCONSCIOUS mind believes what you tell it and then it sets out to create what you believe about yourself.
Regardless of what motivates you, changing that old programming is possible. Your mind is like a computer with different types of memory.
It takes information into a temporary file and then if it is perceived to be believable and true, it is stored on the hard drive, i.e., your memory bank. If your mind has been programmed with negative thoughts about yourself and your abilities, you can reprogram it to function in a more efficient manner. A certified clinical hypnotherapist or other professional may be able to help you change the old programming.
Your repetitive thoughts have a very powerful affect on your unconscious. In fact, you can change your behavior by changing your thoughts.
One of the most important aspects of accomplishing a task is trust in yourself – trust that you have what it takes to accomplish any given task in an efficient and timely manner. You will be amazed at what happens when you place your unwavering attention on an objective with the strong desire to accomplish it. It takes focus and desire or emotion held firm that creates the energy to accomplish it. If you do not trust and feel good about yourself and the task at hand, you are defeated before you begin.
Decide on a task and determine how you wish to accomplish it. Stay focused and determined. Your desire is like a balloon. The more air you breath into it the bigger it gets. When it finally reaches a critical mass, you let it go and it is propelled by its own energy. When you puncture the balloon with doubt fear and resentment, it bursts and all the energy is dissipated, useless, and undirected.
Change the way you perceive yourself and your world will change to accommodate your perceptions. You can do it. Why Not Now?
References:
1. Your Body Believes Every Word You Say, by Barbara Hoberman Levine
2. When Your Heart Speaks Take Good Notes, by Susan Borkin
3. My Voice Will Go With You, by Sidney Rosen
For more info, contact Tonda Adams at 775-825-2588 or mtnquest@mtnquestinc.com.
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