Procrastination - The Hidden Costs
By Mary-Lou Ashton
“Procrastination is the fear of success…” - Denis Waitley
Procrastination is to postpone or delay needlessly. It is to put off things of importance we know must be completed. For some procrastination is not an issue however studies show up to 95% of all people at some point procrastinate with 10-25% with a chronic problem.
What are the costs involved with procrastination?
Reasons for Procrastination
Some of the reasons for procrastination may be:
Perfectionism: I can’t possibly start until this and this happens
Anxiety: What if I make a mistake or do it wrong
Ambiguity: This really isn’t important or matters to me
Inability to handle the task: There’s no way I can do this
Pleasure seeking: I really just need to work in the garden for an hour first
Limiting beliefs: I don’t deserve to be successful - I’ve always been a failure
Whatever the reason we need to be willing to take an honest look at ourselves in order to be able to change the behaviour.
The High Hidden Costs
What happens when we procrastinate? What is the result of procrastination? It almost always adds stress, disorganization, and frequently failure. While most psychologists believe it is a complex behaviour there are generally fears underlying the behaviour, usually a fear of failure or fear of success.
When we procrastinate long enough we end up running on adrenaline, which many of us are overusing as a result of our fast paced society. Adrenaline is part of the “fight-or-flight” reaction we have in response to being frightened or afraid.
When we release into our bodies it causes increase heart rate, strengthens the force of the heart’s contraction, increases blood pressure, opens up bronchioles in the lungs and elevates the blood sugar level. While it may be a source of energy it is a negative one.
Taming the Demon
To eliminate or radically reduce procrastination be sure to plan and block your time, set realistic goals and break them down into smaller steps that are not overwhelming, set rewards and consequences for not sticking to your plan. Ask yourself when you are anxious or afraid “What is the worst thing that could happen and could I live with the outcome?”
Replace your self-talk from “have to” with “want to”, “finish it” with “start it”, “perfectionism” to “being human”, “this is overwhelming” to “where can I start”, “being deprived” to “having fun”.
Another great tool to overcoming fear based reactions and behaviours is to stay present in the moment. Whenever we look at past performances or behaviours or think about what might be ahead we can trigger fears. We often imagine scenarios which never come to past or are nowhere near as bad as we imagined. This quote sums it up. “I’ve suffered a great many catastrophes in my life. Most of them never happened.”
When you stay present in the moment and don’t worry about the past or what may happen in the future there is nothing to fear in the moment. Staying present is a great tool for overcoming fear and/or anxiety.
© Copyright 2007 Mary-Lou Ashton
About the Author
Mary-Lou Ashton successfully launched her Virtual Assistant company in 1997. She has proven that dedication, communication, loyalty and a flare for marketing are keys to developing successful client relationships. Mary-Lou has a keen desire to promote awareness of VA’s as a career option both internationally and at home in Canada and has developed a cost effective, convenient and high quality training program which you can locate at www.vatp.ca
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