Procrastination

I have been plagued by this habit most of my life. There was always tomorrow…or later.

Lately I have been contemplating why I do this and how it has interfered with my goals and hopes and dreams…even my daily life!

I have also been participating in writing instruction in an attempt to learn more about this craft of mine. The instructor wrote about fear, and I realized that procrastination has a fear component to it.

For me, it depends on what I am procrastinating about…is it a chore? is it writing? is it something else?

Knowing what it is helps me to figure out what I am avoiding. For my writing, it might be fear of my reader’s reaction to what I wrote or my own judgement of how well I did the writing. For a chore, it might be something that I do not like doing…like dusting. Or it could be because my skill is not yet developed, and I am unsure of what I am doing or how to do it…like photography.

If I want to improve my life, I need to recognize that the tendency to procrastinate is due to some reason. Once the reason is known, I can address it.

If it is a chore that I don’t like, I need to find a way to make it more enjoyable, like play music or treat myself. If it is lack of skill, then maybe I need instruction.

And, if it is fear, then I have made the decision to face it…especially with my writing. So to that point, I am writing at least 2 minutes every day. And I am enjoying this activity!

Whatever I am procrastinating over, I will give it some thought, choose the action that will eliminate that delay and try it out. Doing that will allow me to take better charge of my own life and allow me to accomplish what I desire.