Tim sat down at his desk, ready to start his assignment which was due in three days.
There was a lot of work to be done, and Tim wished that he had started earlier, but somehow time had just gotten away from him.
As Tim sat at his desk and considered the questions for his assignment, his eyes glanced over to the clock and he saw that it was 11.45 a.m. Lunchtime.
So Tim reasoned to himself that before he started, he should have some lunch because then he would be able to concentrate and put in a solid effort to get it done.
Tim left his desk and ate some lunch, which turned into playing video games, spending time on his phone, and walking the dog. Before Tim knew it, three hours had passed and he had not returned to his assignment.
For Tim, this was a familiar story. The story of “I will do it later” and the consequences of putting off the task.
Many people know what it’s like—they need to complete an important task only to suddenly discover that the dog needs to be fed, the dishwasher needs to be unloaded, or emails need to be answered.
The tendency to procrastinate and avoid taking action is something we all deal with at some point in our lives. Whether it is going to the gym, going on a diet, working on your big idea, looking at your finances—the list is endless.
The reasons why so many people procrastinate may also appear endless—lack of motivation, fear of failure, feeling overwhelmed, anxiety, an abstract goal, perfectionism, and the reward and satisfaction being too far in the future, just to name a few.
This week’s challenge is to discover the reason why you procrastinate. What tasks are you avoiding, and how is this preventing you from achieving your goals? Only when you know the reason why you constantly put things off will you be able to formulate a plan of action.
Action means having a clear goal. It means seeing it already achieved in your mind to give you the needed motivation to start, keep going, and finally finish it. According to the laws of physics, something in motion stays in motion.
So stop putting off to tomorrow what you can do today. Take action, move forward, and achieve the results you desire.
Forever creating,
Deborah Ruth
