Procrastination
“Procrastination isn’t the problem. It’s the solution.
It’s the universe’s way of saying stop, slow down, you move too fast. ”
Ellen DeGeneres
Ellen DeGeneres
"When you have to make a choice and don't make
it, that in itself is a choice." William James.
Written
by Steven Griggs | stevengriggs.com
Procrastination. It’s something we all do and probably a lot more than we care to admit.
But
why? Why do we procrastinate?
The free dictionary defines
procrastination as:
To put off doing something, especially
out of habitual carelessness or laziness.
To postpone or delay needlessly.
Wikipedia says:
In psychology, procrastination refers to the act of replacing high-priority
actions with tasks of lower priority, or doing something from which one derives
enjoyment, and thus putting off important tasks to a later time…..
As
you can see both sources define procrastination in terms of completing tasks.
I
think we can agree that when it comes to completing some tasks it is easy to
understand why we would procrastinate. It is simply not something we want to do
at the time, so we do something else. We
postpone doing the task.
For
more on completing tasks see Are you a Fumbler or a Finisher?
But
in addition to procrastinating in doing tasks, which are really at the micro
level in terms of our life, I believe we have other issues or things that we
procrastinate in addressing or doing at the macro level. These are macro issues
floating underneath the conscious micro level.
Far
from tasks to be completed these are very different. These are the nagging
feelings that make you question the direction your life has taken or some other
aspect of your life that no longer works for you.
These
are the nagging thoughts that whisper in your ear and cry out for change. They
point out dissatisfaction or frustration. They bring on incessant questions
like: “Am I on the right path?” “Is this what I should be doing?” “Why am I
feeling dissatisfied?”
These
feelings bring up scenarios that, if you acted on them, could lead you in a
different direction or require you to make some serious adjustments or changes
to your life. Although you know deep inside that you need to make them, it is
too scary. Some of the changes could be drastic and threatening.
So
it is no wonder we also find ways to avoid addressing these issues.
But
by not addressing them or taking action, over time they seem to speak a little
louder and they become a little more insistent.
And
this begins to weigh you down. You feel as if a dark cloud has come over you.
It begins to make it harder to address your conscious “tasks”.
What
do you do?
First
of all, I don’t think you need to blow up your current life. It is simply not necessary
to clear the decks and start fresh.
Most
of what you currently have in your life is probably good and you want it. But sometimes,
in our frustration, we over paint the good things we have with the brush of frustration.
We
almost throw the baby out with the bath water so to speak.
But
upon a closer, calmer look, you will see that most of the things you have in
your life are desirable and you do want them. You don’t need to get rid of
everything.
A
better choice would be to look at the changes you think you need to make and
ask yourself “What part of this could I do now?” "What little steps could I take
to move towards these needed changes?" “Are there areas that I could modify or adjust?"
Then
begin to make the small changes you've chosen and move towards your desired self.
I
understand frustration and urgency. I also have a tendency to go over the top.
I see something I think I need or a change I think I should make and I go for it. Full
bore. This has its advantages and disadvantages and I have made many right or
left turns in my life that probably weren’t necessary……. but then again it’s a journey not
a destination.
So
it’s not necessary to move too fast or to make big changes. Better to start
smaller.
Look
at what you are concerned about or thinking about on a subtle level, try to
synthesize what the main issue or overriding thought is. Look at that area that
you feel frustrated about. Then look at it in terms of steps. What would be the
first step you could make to affect the changes you want?
Take
that 1st little step and then check in to see how you feel. If it
feels right and you feel better, take the next step.
Keeping
going. Your feelings will change and the changes you are making will expand and
you will begin to see yourself moving faster towards that new you.
