| SolveYourProblem
Article Series: Procrastination
I'll Do It Later, Procrastinator
The
3 Reasons Why You Procrastinate
Have you ever found yourself putting things
off without knowing why? Everyone does this to a certain degree,
but it can be frustrating when you keep doing it without a
clear reason. Ignoring the problem will only make matters worse
because it becomes more and more difficult to move forward.
There are many causes of procrastination, but here are three
of the most common:
1.
Feeling overwhelmed
Many people procrastinate because they feel overwhelmed at
the thought of tackling specific tasks or chores. For example,
you may want to lose weight and get in shape, but it seems
too difficult to begin an exercise program and change your
eating habits. Or you may want to ask your boss for a raise
but feel intimidated about his or her response, so you keep
avoiding the issue. The problem with avoidance is that the
situations only tend to get worse the longer you ignore them.
What starts out as a minor annoyance can quickly turn into
a major aggravation.
The best way to tackle this type of procrastination is to
simply push yourself to do something about it. If it helps
you to feel less intimidated, try breaking down a bigger task
into smaller pieces. For example, rather than starting a whole
new health regime, try committing to exercising for 30 minutes
each day. Once you’ve gotten comfortable with that, begin making
modest changes to your diet, and continue to make other changes
in the same gradual way.
If a task can’t be broken down (like asking your boss for
a raise), you might reach a point where you feel you have nothing
to lose by going for it, and push yourself to take action anyway.
Simply by taking action you can ease that feeling of pressure
and fear that procrastination often creates.
2.
Perfectionism
Another reason you may procrastinate is because you’re afraid
you won’t be able to complete a task well enough, or that the
conditions aren’t yet right to move forward. You’re waiting
for everything to be just perfect (or your own capability to
be greater than it is now), so you keep holding back. Unfortunately,
the “perfect time” or conditions never arrive, so you can end
up holding back for years!
The best way to get around this procrastination habit is to
keep affirming that things don’t have to be perfect for you
to proceed. You don’t have to be perfect in your actions or
capabilities, and the conditions don’t have to be perfect in
order for you to make progress. When you let go of your need
to have everything “just so,” you free yourself up to better
enjoy the journey and leave procrastination in the dust.
3.
Lack of discipline
Finally, a lack of self-discipline can also cause procrastination
because you simply won’t put forth the effort to make positive
changes in your life. Let’s face it; anything worthwhile will
require some effort to achieve!
You may have to simply push yourself to do the things you
know must be done, even if you don’t exactly enjoy them. When
you keep in mind the alternative – problems and stagnation
that result from procrastination, you just might find the motivation
and discipline to keep moving forward.
# # # # #
SolveYourProblem.com
: 2008
> Home > Procrastination
Articles : Main Page
|
