Procrastination Dogging You?
Posted on March 26, 2012 by Molly McCormick, One of Thousands of Life Coaches on Noomii.
A short article to help you deal with procrastination
An article on procrastination. Gee, what a great idea. I’ve been a victim of it, my clients deal with it and my friends complain about it. I thought a solution-based article would shed some light on this annoying habit.
I was able to see first hand the behavior that procrastination manifests when I committed to doing this article. I pulled up the spring-bursting weeds in my yard, shopped for groceries, cleaned the bathrooms, took the dog out for an extra walk and worked on details for an upcoming trip. All necessary tasks, but not tasks related to an article on procrastination. Well, this was my field research!
It continued as I looked up the definition of procrastination in the Merriam Webster dictionary: To put off intentionally the doing of something that should be done.
Of course, to get to the dictionary’s site, I wandered over to Wikipedia to find that procrastination has its roots in the Latin word “Procrastinus” and was first used in 1588. Having that piece of information led me to wonder about what was happening in history to have coined such a word…. Derailed Once Again! The internet is one of procrastination’s best friends!!
Back to the subject matter…. Procrastination is a coping mechanism for anxiety associated with starting or completing a task or decision. My experience of procrastination is a nagging voice, a low-rumble full-time uncomfortable companion that constantly reminds me of what I am supposed to be doing.
Usually fear of some sort is in the mix. Fear of failure – having a belief that it won’t turn out well or it is too difficult a challenge. Or you don’t have the information or skill to do the task and you can’t fathom taking the time to learn it. Fear of success – a belief that it will lead to increased responsibilities and visibility. Fear of overwhelm – just the thought of the task sends you running away from it. But when you procrastinate, the delay keeps adding to your frustration level.
Running underneath the fear are currents of low self-esteem. One of the symptoms of low self-esteem is perfectionism, which makes completing a task difficult because it will never be good enough. Another, perhaps even more insidious symptom of low self esteem is Self-Downing. Created by Albert Ellis of the Rational Emotive Behavior Therapy, the term implies a continual minimization of one’s own skills and abilities to succeed. The process is corrosive because repeated self-downing results in the belief that you are only capable of a certain level of achievement. Procrastination is well suited to a self-downer because every time you delay, it reinforces your negative attitude toward the task and yourself for not doing it.
When we procrastinate, we strengthen the habit of delay. We avoid acquiring the training or skills we need to accomplish the task at hand, which deepens the indoctrination into self-fulfilling fears.
So what can be done about procrastination? In order to break the cycle, we have to become aware of what’s happening. Before you get to the anxiety-ridden state of paralysis and overwhelm, look at the task you’re putting off and understand why you don’t want to do it. Uncover the triggered beliefs behind your reasons. At this point, your feelings govern your motivation. If there are negative feelings, there will be resistance.
THE FACT IS ALL TASKS ARE NEUTRAL.
It is the belief system tied to the activity that wreaks havoc.
If you have perfection issues, catch your language when Should, Must and Have To enter the room. Try self-reassurance: “This version is good enough.” Make an effort to praise what you’ve done. Accept that mistakes are part of a learning curve, not an assault on your self-esteem.
If you recognize self-downing patterns in yourself, practice accepting compliments about your work performance. Spend some time writing the reasons for your discomfort with success. If the reasons remain hidden, they maintain a controlling influence over your behavior. Call to your higher self and dispute the reasons you’ve come up with and overcome them with love and compassion. Give yourself hearty congratulations for starting the task, no matter how small the effort is.
Coaching is especially helpful for dismantling the self-downing process. Elicit help from your support system to champion for you.
The quickest way to deal with procrastination is to break the task down into small, manageable pieces. Set a timer for 5 minutes and work on the task. You may or may not want to keep working, BUT you will have 5 minutes into the project that you didn’t have before. Schedule and prioritize your time so your task has a designated appointment. We set appointments to see our friends, or go to a doctor, why not for a task that needs to get done? Expect back-sliding. Occasionally, life hands us derailments. Accept the setback and start again. This is fertile ground for procrastination. The key here is to start again.
Understanding how procrastination works and reducing its influence in your life, will grant you more freedom and greater personal satisfaction. Procrastination reinforces itself. Active participation in anything gives you a positive attitude toward that activity (except procrastination!) Overcoming procrastination in your life is a process of practice. You will be able to move through it quicker and enhance your feeling of self-confidence. When you do succeed, make sure you take time to savor the moment. This acknowledgment becomes important when the next challenge comes up. Remembering how good it feels to finish will help you start again.
Like right now, when I hit this publish button for my finished article, I’m going to congratulate myself for a task finished AND for the car that I washed, the friends that I called, the closet I cleaned out…unnecessary tasks for the newsletter but done nonetheless!
If you would like to dismantle the hold of procrastination has on your life, give me a call. There are many coaching options to choose from to get you moving in the right direction. I know, I know… first you have to ____________ (fill in the blank.)
