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Identifying and avoiding the causes of
procrastination
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Tip # 1 Everything starts
and ends with the self
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If someone said to you that you
were a procrastinator, your immediate reaction would be to
defend yourself. “It’s his fault”, “My mother was like that
too”, “I was forced to do something I didn’t want to do”.
Some people like to blame their
misfortunes on others. But the truth is, you are equally at
fault. You procrastinate because you yourself choose to
procrastinate. The sooner you accept that, the better you’ll be
able to overcome procrastination.
Tip # 2 I want NOT to
procrastinate anymore
In line with tip # 1 above,
once you accept that procrastination is your weakness, the next
step is to eliminate this weakness. Your desire not to
procrastinate anymore should be sincere. You need to
demonstrate that determination through small daily gestures.
Tip # 3 Mea Culpa-Take
Responsibility
You’ve accepted the fact that
(a) you’re a procrastinator, and (b) you have a sincere desire
to change. Now tell yourself that if you fail to achieve a
particular goal or a given task, it’s because you
procrastinated. Mea culpa. Admitting guilt is a giant
step. Note, however, that there is a huge difference between
admitting guilt and being too hard on yourself. Admitting guilt
is taking ownership of your actions. Being too hard on yourself
is unjustified self-blame. Continue from where you left off.
Tip # 4 Ask: In what ways
do I procrastinate?
Ask yourself, “In what ways do
I procrastinate?” Sit down with pen and paper. Writing them
will help you focus and identify them more clearly. Here are
some ways where people procrastinate:
-
paying bills
-
not
discussing the complaints you’ve received about a member of
your team for fear of hurting his/her feelings
-
repeatedly
postponing a dental appointment because you’ve got better
things to do
-
not
returning the call of your son’s teacher because you know
what the problem is and you’re fed up
-
not
discussing your resentment about your husband spending too
much time at work or with his buddies
-
not getting
that hair cut, that dress dry-cleaned, that donation mailed
-
not visiting
a sick relative in the hospital
-
not telling
your significant other you no longer love her/him
-
not calling
your doctor about that persistent numbness in your right arm
or not fixing a colonoscopy exam date
-
not having
the car’s squeaking brakes checked
-
not going to
confession because you never know what the priest’s schedule
is
-
not sending
that overdue thank you note or making that overdue call to
your mother-in-law
>>> Self-Evaluation Page 2 |
