Do you ever put off a task only to find yourself in a mess of panic and anxiety as you scramble to finish it before the due date?
Have you ever asked yourself, “Why do I do this?”
It’s because it’s a habit. Go on, admit it and say it aloud, you are a procrastinator.
If it’s any comfort, you’re not the only one. Just about everyone procrastinates. Sometimes that’s good, but mostly it’s an insidious, chronic malaise that will cripple your future.
So why do you continue to procrastinate, despite knowing that the end result will only produce turmoil and subpar work?
There are four good reasons why you may be choosing to procrastinate right now, but with a little help you can overcome this nasty habit and take decisive action toward achieving your hopes and dreams.
Here are 4 reasons why you may be wasting time and how to stop procrastinating:
1. You procrastinate because you’re bored
It’s a fact of life. We all feel less than enthusiastic from time to time. Sometimes our work becomes routine and we end up just going through the motions.
But how do you combat this?
First, recognize that you’re bored. Be conscious of your feelings, your falling energy levels, and your lack of desire to finish your projects. Ask yourself a few questions and be totally honest with your answers. Am I bored with what I’m doing? Why am I bored? What would give me a lot more energy?
Successful people maintain their excitement by constantly going after new projects and bigger opportunities. They thrive on taking new risks and the possibility that they might hit a massive home run. And the uncertainty makes it even more appealing!
Keep raising your level of expectation and never become satisfied with routine business that requires no challenge or ingenuity.
2. You procrastinate because you’re overwhelmed
Often people procrastinate because they let things pile up, instead of handling one task at a time and taking each task to completion.
This may start with one little thing that doesn’t get done because the time wasn’t right, or you just didn’t feel like doing it. Then something else comes along, and you postpone that, too. Now you have two things to do.
Individually, neither one seems too big to accomplish, but together they create resistance. And after a while, a growing list of a half dozen items has been put off and procrastination has reared its ugly head.
If you’re not careful, this can begin controlling you, and you will become overwhelmed and won’t know where to start.
To combat this, start each day by doing the list of tasks you least want to work on or the tasks that are the most challenging. Then, you won’t have to worry about them piling up and looming over your head.
3. You procrastinate because you’re doing work you don’t really enjoy
There are two sides to this kind of dilemma. The first is that all of us are required to do certain things we don’t enjoy. That’s one of the rules of the game if you want to become more successful. You may not like it but that’s the way it is.
Successful people do the things that unsuccessful people don’t like to do. They don’t enjoy doing some of these things either, but they go ahead and do them anyway. This is a fundamental point, one that you need to fully understand.
The other side of the coin is that you may be stuck in a mediocre job or career that doesn’t allow you to use your greatest abilities. If that’s true, then look for an opportunity to expand your talents. Life is too short to be stuck in work you don’t enjoy. Most of the time, the type of work you do should stimulate you and give you energy.
Why stay in something that drains your energy and is not fulfilling?
If you’re not switching careers due to fear, remember that the biggest rewards in life are found outside your comfort zone. Being willing to feel the fear and take action anyway are prerequisites if you want to enjoy a life of success and adventure.
4. You procrastinate because you’re lazy
I’m going to be blunt for a moment. If you avoid taking action because you’d rather put your feet up every night and watch movie reruns on TV, there’s little chance you’ll be enjoying an abundant lifestyle anytime soon.
The bottom line?
Success takes effort and consistent, focused activity. Laziness is not part of the equation. @JackCanfield (Click to Tweet!)
Now it’s time for YOU to succeed and stop procrastinating
Keeping these four reasons in mind, I want to leave you with a few thoughts.
Write down a list of things that you may be putting off doing right now, then ask yourself WHY am I putting off doing these things? If you can’t think of a good reason why you can’t complete the task, then make a plan of action for how you’re going to complete it and by when.
To hold yourself accountable, leave a comment below with the list of tasks you’re going to complete and by when.
Remember, nothing will change for the better until you do.
As the beloved originator of the Chicken Soup for the Soul® series, Jack Canfield fostered the emergence of inspirational anthologies as a genre—and watched it grow to a billion dollar market. As the driving force behind the development and delivery of over 100 million books sold through the Chicken Soup for the Soul® franchise, Jack Canfield is uniquely qualified to talk about success. Jack is America’s #1 Success Coach and wrote the life-changing book The Success Principles: How to Get From Where You Are to Where You Want to Be and Jack speaks around the world on this subject. Check out his newest book The 30-Day Sobriety Solution: How to Cut Back or Quit Drinking in the Privacy of Your Own Home. Follow Jack at www.jackcanfield.com and sign up for his free resources today!
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