Ready, Set. . . Wait!

Tell me if this sounds familiar to you.

You wake up in the morning.

Go get some coffee.

Get back to work

Check your to do list then go do some laundry or check your Facebook page.

You get busy doing “non-essentials”.

In other words, you spend time being busy, but not being productive.

Why do we tend to procrastinate?

Well, the truth is, procrastination stems from a variety of reasons.

Fear of failure.

Fear of success.

Poor organizational skills.

Lack of self-esteem.

Let’s break down these areas in particular and maybe come up with a few ways to overcome procrastination.

Fear of Failing or Succeeding

If you believe that you have a fear of failure/success, there are some things you can do to

understand why you’re so resistant to perform the tasks you’re avoiding.

Ask yourself what you’re afraid of most.

Is it the task itself?

The requirements needed to accomplish the task?

The outcome?

The possibility of failure?

It may go even deeper.

Maybe what you’re really afraid of is succeeding.

Most often than not, we tend to sabotage a certain project because if we succeed,

that means that we have met the high expectations that other’s have about us and our work.

Even though this is not a bad thing, it actually creates more pressure in our minds and we think that now we

must always exceed those expectations and no excuses can suffice for not doing so.

Lack of self esteem

Sometimes we may feel a lingering uncertainty within our minds.

Lack of self esteem will stop us from completing even the simplest task.

Why?

Simply because we do not feel we are worthy of a challenge or because

in our mind, we believe we are not good enough, or skilled enough, or talented enough to complete it.

The fear of rejection only adds to this feeling.

It may stem from a past rejection that has resurfaced from the task at hand.

It’s important to not place too much importance on what we BELIEVE other’s think.

Motivation is a good place to begin.

It’s imperative that you affirm confidence in your own abilities in order to overcome rejection or your feeling of inadequacy.

You can start with an easy task, then slowly and gradually work your way up to the full completion

of a larger, more intimidating task.

Your confidence will start to build up and you will feel positive about what you really can accomplish.

This way, you will be less likely to avoid the next task at hand.

And even though you my get a knot in your stomach when you decide to push through this feeling, you’ll be able to overcome it if you remember who you REALLY are.

Inside, YOU are a strong, capable, determined individual who will NOT succumb to the fear in your mind.

Do not allow anyone or anything to overpower you, your life, or your achievements.

Organizational Skills

Instead of pressuring yourself by creating a HUGE list of twenty-something things to do, create a small list of five things to do.

Managing your list this way will make it easier for you to keep on track and will make it easier to actually get through your list.

This will give you a feeling of accomplishment and make you eager to take on your next small list of tasks.

The secret is not to overload your mind with tasks that you or anyone else can handle.

Take it slow.

One step at a time.

Remember, YOU are YOUR OWN boss.

There is no pressure other than the one you put on yourself.

Soon, you will find that you are not one who tends to procrastinate,

but that you are excited each morning to tackle the tasks at hand,

eager to challenge yourself and finally reap the rewards you deserve!

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