If you know me or know how I work, you know that I believe that when it comes to time management, it’s personal. When it comes to managing your time, you have to consider how your personality plays into or contributes to it. When it comes to procrastination, the same rule applies, your personality determines why you procrastinate. Did you know that procrastination is the biggest reason that people fail to reach their goals? Did you know that procrastination is robbing you? It’s true. Not only is procrastination costing you your precious time, it’s more than likely costing you money too.
There are about a dozen reasons people give for procrastinating and as I see it, each is representative of an individual’s personality. Some are more prevalent than others. Some of what I call the surface reasons are related to working better under pressure, waiting on something–like the perfect situation or time, which by the way never comes. The lack of focus and need for validation also find themselves in the mix when it comes to this thief of time, and although these can be seen as legitimate, this is just what’s happening on the surface. When you dig deeper you see that procrastination is the result of something that goes on inside of you at a much deeper level.
Inside of you there’s something that has you continue to put things off over and over again. Something keeps you from getting things done on a daily basis and keeps you from taking that step forward. What’s inside of you stops you from moving forward and stepping into what’s next for you and your business. It’s keeping you from the things that you want. Do you know what procrastination is costing you? It can cost you your reputation, money as well as your time, which is not good when it comes to business. These are all things that will break you. I’ve worked with many people and discovered that at the heart of their procrastination was F-E-A-R AKA, False Evidence Appearing Real. To stop the thief of time, you’ve got to dig deeper to discover what the fear is before you can address it. You’ve got to go beyond the surface.
What’s your reason for procrastinating? Do you see that one of the surface reasons I mentioned above sounds like you? Take time to contemplate your reason for procrastinating. There might be more than one. It may not come to you right away, so take about a week or so and just observe yourself, watching the things that you choose to do, versus what needs to be done. When you think you’ve come to the right conclusion, relate to it, breathe it in and own it. Be with it. Don’t beat yourself up, but instead accept it as your way of being around the things on your task list. When you accept it, what comes up for you? Do you see how that relates to the reason that you put things off? How? Once you answer these questions, it’s time to get out the shovel and dig deeper to find out what’s at the core of that surface reason you discovered. What resides within shows up in your world, and the same is so when it comes to procrastination. If you want to be rid of the thief of time, you’ve got to deal with the “stuff” going on inside of you. Believe it or not, it’s true. What you see in your world is a reflection of you. Your procrastination can be remedied, but doing so calls for digging much deeper and not just applying solutions for what I call the surface stuff. This small exercise can give you some insight as to why you procrastinate and get you on the path to eliminating the thief of time from your life altogether.
If you’re looking for help to get to the core of your procrastination, check out my Procrastination Annihilation™ program. Get the big picture of what goes on when you procrastinate and dig deeper to find the real reason for your procrastination so that you can address it and eliminate the thief of time. If you happen to be in or near the Metro Detroit area this month (April 2013) you might be interested in the live Procrastination Annihilation™ workshop.