Procrastination - 8/31/2008

I will bet you it is one of those things that grab you on a consistent basis. It is an everyday part of life. You know it is a challenge; you talk about needing to stop doing it, BUT it is still there staring you in the face and causing turmoil in your life. What am I talking about? That thing called Procrastination!

Do you ever find yourself challenged by it? How many stacks do you look at before you give yourself permission to just leave them there? How many conversations have you had with yourself and with others about the fact you need to stop your procrastinating? I would think some of you have even made your need to stop procrastinating one of your New Year Resolutions.

Do you realize what Procrastinating does to you? As long as you procrastinate, you must repeat yesterday.

Procrastinating will:

• Provide you with emotional challenges
• Repeat yesterday
• Open you to unnecessary conflict
• Compound confusion
• Refuse to allow you to grow
• Allow negative space
• Steal from others
• Take respect away from you
• Increase your personal stress
• Negate the good that might be happening
• Alter the journey
• Test your level of commitment
• Exhaust you in the long run

Can you see where procrastination will keep you from moving forward? It is important you understand that procrastination is a by-product. It is not a stand alone behavior. It is the result of your top enemies coming together--confusion creates fear, which results in doubt that then creates disorganization that together steals your desire, which drains your spirit. When this all comes together, you will stare, lack energy and procrastinate.

Have you ever lived this way? How many times has your procrastination just added to your stress?

So, the question is, How Do You Control The Behavior Of Procrastination? Understand, you will never completely eliminate procrastination, BUT you can control your tendency to procrastinate.

To control procrastination:

• Completion must be the crusade
• What you don't complete, has continuation.
• Organization must be in place
• Without organization you will be scattered.
• Never create stacks
• Stacks steal energy and leave you empty.
• Time must be respected
• Time is consistent, you are not.
• Refuse to live in tomorrow
• Tomorrow is an illusion you don't have.
• Open yourself to help
• Without help you will lack clarity.
• Look at the depth of your commitment
• Your commitment defines your desire.

Procrastinating is a choice. Simply stated, procrastination is the behavior of avoidance. Anything you avoid doesn't go away; it just creates another emotional stack that keeps stealing energy. It creates that mental question, When are you going to go back and complete what you started? Anything that is not completed has continuation. It is the continuation that steals your focus, steals your energy and makes it okay to wait!

If you really are serious about improving your life, you must realize the power of procrastination that makes waiting an unacceptable behavior. 

Note: This article was authored by my great friend and international personal development guru, Richard Flint.  It recently appeared in his wonderful monthly Mindjogger Newsletter and I thought is was so great that I wanted you to see it.  Go to www.richardflint.com and look at Starmaker – 2009 (who is the guest speaker), review his products and subscribe to his newsletter.

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