My Blog has been silent for a while. It’s not that I didn’t have anything to say. I just kept putting it off. Welcome to the wonderful world of procrastination.
Procrastination is the habit of avoiding things that need to be done so you can do something else that’s more enjoyable or comfortable.
I like to be a writer, I just don’t always like the process of writing. Thus comes procrastination.
Here are some reasons I tend to procrastinate:
- Emotionally drained— If I feel empty inside, I avoid things I find uncomfortable. I’ll quickly seek out activities that fill my emotional bucket. Rarely do those activities satisfy because, deep inside, I know I ‘m leaving something undone.
- Fear — If I’m afraid of failing at something, I’ll avoid it. Sometimes I’m afraid of succeeding at something, unsure that I can handle the requirements of new success.
- Boredom — We all have common things that need our attention. Commonness can be boring and tedious. If it’s going to be monotonous, I’m likely to find something else to do.
- Perfectionism — As I age, I find myself leaning towards perfectionism. Kind of surprising for me. I thought I’d go the other way. So I find I’m likely to procrastinate on something if I know it won’t be perfect.
Here are some ways I’m working to overcome procrastination.
- Just Do It — Nike landed on gold. There’s something to be said for “cowboy-ing” up and doing what you don’t want to do. I had lots of ideas for this blog post, but I kept putting it off. It wasn’t until I sat down and just did it that change began to happen. Sometimes when I just do it, the task turns out to be less difficult than I imagined.
- Breaks — An increasing amount of research suggests that those who build breaks into their days are more likely to be efficient. Breaks need to be surprisingly frequent. Some say taking a break every 20 minutes will give your brain enough rest to push through the tedium of a task. Breaks aren’t a sign of weakness, they are very often the catalyst launching you to completion.
- Variety — Adding new things into my life helps me overcome procrastination. Sometimes it’s as simple as a change of scenery–accomplishing the task in a different location. Variety renews my passion for life and keeps me interested in accomplishing things I find boring.
Proverbs 13:4 says “Indolence wants it all and gets nothing; the energetic have something to show for their lives (MSG).” A wake of impact awaits those who live lives of energy.
One area I intend to improve in 2012 is pushing through procrastination. My goal is to post at least once a week throughout the year. I hope this year sees procrastination die for you too.
I feel better already!
What do you do to overcome procrastination?