Procrastination...putting off what you can do today until tomorrow...7 years, 5 months, and 2 days later you’re wondering why you never started that book. It would have been done by now and you would be reaping the rewards. Writing would be your full-time pleasure now. You can see yourself sitting on the garden patio of your dream home surrounded by towering palm trees and luxurious flowers. You look across the Pacific as the ocean air gently blows across your face. The phone rings. Your latest book made the Best Seller List. Funny how in regret the vision is always bright and sunny, and in procrastination its doom and gloom. You say to yourself,”No one will ever want to read my book. No one will ever publish my book”. What if you could switch that picture so you are pulled towards the vision like it was a magnet. The vision will be there. Why not create it sooner rather than later. Procrastination results in stress, poor health, and regrets that last a lifetime. Taking action leads to fulfillment, life experience, and wisdom. So read on to discover how to break through procrastination, take action, and make things happen.

Step 1- Where in your life are you procrastinating? Is it the appropriate decision to delay or irrational postponement? Choose one project that you want to stop procrastinating on.

Step 2- Discover the source in order to create a solution. Consider when your car doesn’t start. You look for the source of the problem. When you find the source it is easy to take action to make the repair. Look behind procrastination to find what is stopping you. It may be an unpleasant task, lack of interest, someone else’s goal, a large overwhelming project, fear, poor time management, or indecision. When you discover the source you are one step closer to making a change. Congratulations!

Step 3- Based on the source decide if this is a goal you want to keep. If so, choose a strategy that makes you more comfortable. The following examples will get your creative juices flowing. Choose what is right for you. You will have to develop new habits. Best to create habits you want vs. what someone else wants for you. Discover the source and set the strategy up in a way that you know you will take action. Here are some possible sources and solutions:

An Unpleasant Task/ Lack of Interest- Schedule it at the beginning of the day so it is not hanging over your head all day long. Think of how great you will feel to have it done. Reward yourself when you follow through.

Someone Else’s Goal- Set a boundary...say no or accept only the part of the job that you feel good about. If you can not say no (ex. employment situation) then you may choose to follow the above solution.

A Large Overwhelming Project- Break it down into small manageable tasks. What part can you do? What part can you delegate? What is the first small step you know you can do right now?

Lack of Focus Due to Multiple Projects- Prioritize the projects then break them down into small manageable tasks as in the step above. Focus on completion of one project at a time.

Fear- What is the fear telling you? Is it legitimate or the product of an irrational assumption. Usually what we anticipate never happens. If you need to stand up to your fear then visualize a positive end result. Use affirmations and visualization to break through the fear. Focus on how great you will feel simply for having the courage to try. You gain strength, wisdom, and confidence from each experience.

Poor Time Management- Schedule a block of time daily or weekly to work specificly on this project. Keep these appointments. Begin with small blocks of time (an amount of time you can commit) until you are consistantly keeping your appointments. Then you can add more time.

Indecision- When you don’t know what to do set a deadline to make up your mind. Then get whatever support and information you need to be able to make an educated decision.

Step 4- Come from a positive place. Think of that positive picture that shows up in regret, and allow that picture to pull you towards it now. Know that you are an amazing person who is completely capable when you prepare, get the help you need, and use the resources available to you. Focus on how great you will feel for having followed through step by step no matter what the result. Afterall...it is through the expedition that the great and memorable moments occur!

What action will you take? Starting Now!

Copyright 2003, Beth A. Tabak, All rights reserved.