ARE YOU A ....

Three months ago, your boss handed you some documents and said, "I need you re-write this document and have it ready to show the big bosses by August 1st!" It is now the night before, and you're rushing to get it done. WHY??

Maybe it was a lot to take on, or perhaps it was something you didn't want to do, so you put it off until the last minute. Now you're feeling stressed, yelling at the family to leave you alone, so you work. You're tired because it's now been ten hours that you've been working on the document.

Procrastination is a serious habit to have. Yes, I said habit. It's not a disease or an illness; it is a bad habit, and that means it can be changed. If you are this person, as I still sometimes can be, then we need to chat!

When a person allows themselves to put things off until the last minute, stress is just one of the harmful side effects.

Here are a couple of effects that are affected.

1) Time - How much time did you waste putting off that assignment?

Did you suddenly find yourself watching another episode of Alone or found that instead of working, now is the time to clean your fingernails?

Maybe you wake up five years later and see your kids are heading off to college now, realizing you had spent more time with them.

2) Missing Opportunities

How many opportunities have you missed because you put things off. Like the promotion you wanted and needed, or if you're a student who wanted to go on a trip with your class, but you put off doing your research and now you're being left behind?

3) Lower Self Esteem

One of the vicious circles you might find yourself in. We tend to procrastinate because low self-esteem makes us feel that we won't be able to get a task or project done the right way. Unfortunately, procrastinating only increases the feelings of low self-esteem, making us doubt ourselves even more.

My Thoughts

The effects of procrastination may not seem all that bad, but those effects can build up over time, leading to stress, anxiety, failed goals, dreams, and low self-esteem. Instead of letting procrastination take hold, take the time to develop time management techniques to help you deal with it when it appears.

Many times, we procrastinate out of fear of failing. It is so important to see that failing is needed to grow. If your deadline is two months away, get the work in early; if you fail, you now have time to see/find your mistakes and correct them. Don't let fear of failure or fear of letting someone down get in your way. Remember, failure is needed for us to grow! So go out there and fail! Tomorrow you will see your rewards!

I can help you with the learning techniques needed to stay on course. Let me know how I can help you break the procrastination cycle.