ProcrastinationIs What You Want Worth It?
by Laura Interval
You have declared your intent. You know what you want. You have a good vision of what is going to make you happy. That’s good. That’s a great start. So, how’s that going for you? What have you done today to move you towards your goal? What was that? Was that an excuse I just heard? Did you just say something like, “oh, I will” or “I’m really excited to start on my goal next week”? Are you feeling like the time is not right or there’s something else that needs to happen before you start? You are a procrastinator, my friend, and you will not be reaching your goals without doing some serious re examining. You really want what you want, right? Well, that’s the hard part. Knowing what you want and why you want it is a huge part of the goal achieving process. So, what’s the deal? Why aren’t you speeding towards your goal like a hockey puck in the last two seconds of the Stanley cup final? Maybe you’re not so sure why you want it. Your “why” isn’t strong enough. How important is it to you? For example, why do you want to lose weight? “To fit into an old pair of jeans” will not motivate you nearly as much as to save your heart. Get real with yourself. Why do you want more money? If your answer is a general concept “to be rich”, you won’t be motivated enough to persist in your pursuit. If it’s about buying that specific dream house for you and your family, you will be able to keep your eyes on your goal. So be specific on the why. Now, take a look at your goals. Hopefully, you have them written down and on some sort of time line. Are you feeling a little more motivated now that your “why” is stronger? Or are you still thinking about obstacles, postponements and “if onlys”? Be conscious of your thoughts right now. Where are you stalling? Where are you allowing excuses to justify procrastination? Here are the two biggest crutches. Relate to one of these? “It’s just not the right time to start . . . ” – Thinking that you have to make huge changes before you start pursuing your goal, or that the time has to be “just right” will do nothing but make you feel overwhelmed about what you have to do. I get it. No one wants to start a diet before the holidays or right before their big birthday bash. But, I think this is the wrong way to look at it. This way of thinking is setting you up for the feeling of deprivation, and we all know that that type of dieting will not last. Begin to think of it as a change in habit, which you can start immediately. Change one little thing. Now. Not after the party where you’ll feel like you have to do something drastic. Drink more water today, eat a better breakfast, do 50 sit ups right now. Just do something to begin. “I’ll work twice as hard after my vacation” is setting yourself up for twice the fall. You do not have to make a huge change all at once. You can make a small change before the big party. Even a change in thought, a change in conscious awareness will make a difference. Then, you’ll be in an even better place to continue when that “right time” arrives. “When I have more money I can start …”-Waiting to enroll in a class or get the right equipment? “Where there is a will, there is a way” right? In this case, you may be procrastinating because you’re looking for the shortcut. You’re hoping that the right class or the right equipment will get you to your goal faster. However, I’m betting there’s a lot you can be doing towards your goal that won’t cost a dime. The internet has opened up a whole new world of resources. How about the local library? Find a mentor and study how they got to where they are. Get creative with your resources. If you let the lack of money become a crutch, chances are you will never feel like you have enough and you will find yourself years down the road still procrastinating. Pursue your goal “as if” you have all the money you need. Then when you do feel you have “enough” money to take the class, you will be over prepared to take off from there. There are a lot of other justifications to procrastinating on starting your ascent to your dream life. Although you may label them by a different name, most of them are falsely rooted in time or money. You have the power to choose to move through these excuses. And if falling short of your goals is not enough to motivate you forward, Dr. Joseph Ferrari of De Paul University explains that procrastination can also cost you your health. He found evidence that compromised immune systems, more colds and flu, more gastrointestinal problems and insomnia were higher in procrastinators. So, daily small steps towards your goal will make you feel better.
“Don't fool yourself that important things can be put off till tomorrow; they can be put off forever, or not at all.” ~Mignon McLaughlin, If your goal is important to you, begin it. If it’s not, drop it. Don’t procrastinate it forever. It’s just may not be worth it.
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