Do you wonder why you are sometimes stuck doing the same thing or why you have settled for mediocrity? Why do those piles keep reappearing or why can’t you get some of your goals accomplished?
We all procrastinate to a point but there are those that are consistently late, miss deadlines or put things off.
Understanding why you act the way you do can help you stop procrastination in its tracks. Do you procrastinate because you: can’t face the project in front of you assuming that it will be too difficult or use procrastination to finally get motivated or do you have to do it perfectly?
You need to recognize that procrastination may be serving you at this moment. When you procrastinate you may become the center of attention when you are blustering about complaining about your workload or you may be using it as an excuse for a less than stellar work performance or you again “save the day” by finishing the project at the ninth hour.
So have you always been a procrastinator or is this something new? Is something going on at your place of employment or at home that is causing you to procrastinate? Do you take care of yourself (enough sleep, exercise) so your body can meet its daily demands? Do you enjoy the excitement or pressure of doing things at the last minute?
Questions like those above can help you understand this habit. Creating awareness is the first step toward eliminating procrastination. Journaling about this topic can further help you identify the benefits and causes of your procrastination habit. What have you discovered about the habit of procrastination?