The Joy of Procrastinating and How to Spoil It
Author: Ninive Badilescu

We’ve all been there. We’ve all came up with great reasons for not doing something at a certain point in time. For some of us this is just an isolated episode, for others it's a way of life. The only common point is the draining of power and real control once you are caught in the somehow comfortable and yet so deadly web of excuses.

1. Remember that you are human and you are allowed to make mistakes sometimes.

Well, the first and most important thing to remember is that we are all humans and “Errare humannum est” as the Latin’s use to say. Yes to make mistakes IS human. Be gentle with yourself and acknowledge your procrastination. However should we let this become an excuse in itself or the reason we should stop trying to change? I am sure few of us want that and rather see it as the spark that fires their commitment to change.

2. Acknowledge the fact that you procrastinate. Don’t blame yourself for it.

Many clients come to me complaining that they have all these goals they know they can reach, they even have plans designed to help them get there faster, are committed to doing something about it and yet the reality is that they feel stuck, unable to move forward and follow their own plans. I always urge them to acknowledge the place they are at and not blame themselves for it.

3. Check that the tasks you avoid are in alignment with your overall values and goals.

There are many reasons we fail in taking action to reach our goals or simply follow through with a plan. Some of them are obvious others less so. There is no recipe for fixing the problem overnight.

The problem starts usually with having our plans designed to take place outside our overall goals and vision. We are so caught up in dealing with what in the scheme of things are only details and forget to remember and reinforce our bigger plans. Just take a step back and look if what you have planned to do (and postpone doing) really fits in your long-term plans and vision. If the action you procrastinate about is not in alignment with your bigger vision and values it is probably best to look first in what else you should be concentration on.

4. Check your target; make sure you have not set it too high or too far.

Sometimes we know we are on the right track and know that this would be the best thing to work on, and yet find it hard to actually doing it. Look at where have you set your target. Targets set too high will overwhelm us and we would feel disempowered before we start. Remember: every big success has been achieved one small step at the time. Look at your task and work out the small steps you’d need to take to achieve the success you want. Concentrate on each small step at the time and only consider the challenge as a whole when checking to make sure you are on target.

5. Find out why are you easily distracted.

When we seem to be more interested in the distractions around us then working on what we planned for, it is a good idea to take a little time to see why is this happening. Is it because you don’t like the subject you are working on (once again look at the alignment between it and your overall vision), is it because you are looking for reasons to procrastinate again (are you afraid of failure, are you afraid of success, are you afraid of taking action?), is it because you have done a poor job of planning it (breaking it down in small manageable steps?).

Try and answer these questions honestly and take responsibility of your real feelings. You should not use the answers to create guilt to burden yourself with. You should use your answers to better understand how you can help yourself.

6. Set up your boundaries using a non aggressive non confrontational approach.

Sometimes we feel overwhelmed by what we bring onto ourselves by our inability to set boundaries, to say no when should. Being swamped with lots of other projects might push us to the point where we say: “What’s the point in trying? I can do all these things anyway. I might as well not start at all.” Force yourself to ask for help or learn how to say no. You are responsible for setting your own boundaries. You fail to it and those around you will take advantage.

7. Ask for support not because you want to do less but because you want to do better.

A helpful tip: Never use an aggressive, confrontational approach to setting your boundaries. State facts, talk about your commitments and ask for support not to do less but to do better and be the best you can.

8. Prioritise and use the priority order to work your way through the day.

Prioritizing should also be part of your boundaries setting. You have to decide what you should concentrate on to achieve the results you are after, and in the process to discover what can be sent at the bottom of your to do list.

9. De-clutter your schedule.

Be tough! Be very, very tough! Don’t keep on your schedule any task that has been there for a while and there were no repercussions. Chances are it is not important. Delete any tasks that are contradicting each other. Chances are the communication is the issue here rather than your procrastination. And then...delegate. Look at tasks that others might take care off (sometimes even better than you) and let go.

10. Focus.

Getting focused is the key to ending procrastination. Once you’ve established what it is that you should be doing to keep your actions in alignment with your overall vision, once you have decided on the individual steps you should take, once you have established your boundaries and have asked and received the help you need, once you have prioritize and organize your work you are ready. There is no reason for you not to focus now and get on with the job.

Let me tell you a little secret. Once you go through this process you will feel enthused and you will manage to focus your actions and attention on the task at hand. If for some reason along the way there is a hiccup relax, take a break and have a look for any of the conditions we talked about is not there anymore.






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Ninive is the founder of PrimaClass Coaching. She works with people from all walks of life and helps them on their way to fulfilling their dreams, reaching their goals and live their hopes. Ninive offer workshops, teleclasses and one-on-one coaching. Visit her web site for more details: www.primaclass.com/UAchieve/.

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