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Procrastination has traditionally been defined as postponing taking action on something in favor of doing something else. In this context, doing something else can mean doing nothing at all. But this definition is insufficient. It fails to recognize circumstances in which putting things off is sensible and pragmatic.
For the purpose of this book, we’ll define procrastination as the act of deferring action on something when taking earlier action would arguably have been a better decision.
But the overarching reason we put things off is because something else promises to be more gratifying within a shorter time frame.
The trick is to make the benefits of taking action more immediate.
The biggest challenge in working on a task you consider to be boring, difficult, or unappealing, is starting on it. But a strange things happens once you start: the anxiety and dread associated with it rapidly declines.
The task probably nagged at you. Worse, the discomfort you felt probably grew the longer you postponed taking action. What happened when you finally started working on the dreaded task? The discomfort and anxiety you felt, much of it stemming from the guilt of procrastinating, likely dissipated. Moreover, once you started working on it, you probably found it easy to continue doing so.
I write for a living. But I don’t always look forward to it. Writing a book, or even a comprehensive blog post, entails a lot of work. So, yes, I’ve been known to procrastinate. But I’ve found that once I write the first 100 words - that’s less than half a page - it’s much easier to press onward and write the next 1,000, 2,000, or even 5,000 words.
Taking action causes the discomfort and guilt associated with procrastination to evaporate. It also erases the stress and worry of doing the task. And just as importantly, it gives us the momentum we need to continue working until the task has been completed.
More than once, because my license plate lacked the appropriate registration sticker from the California Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV), I’d discover that my car had been towed.
Worse, there were times when I’d receive my new registration card and sticker from the DMV, and let both sit in my office for months on end.
This tendency to postpone things - important things! - extended into every area of my life. I paid my car insurance bills late. I waited until I had no clean clothes before desperately doing a load of laundry. I postponed ending relationships, allowing them to drag on long after it was clear they were terminal.
I eventually left the corporate world, and ventured out on my own. But I hadn’t kicked my procrastination habit, and was thus continually plagued by it. For example, I delayed creating new products for my customers and clients. I put off tracking my advertising expenses. I deferred researching new opportunities.
I experienced less anxiety and guilt. These feelings were replaced with confidence and purpose. I finally felt in control of my life.
By taking action more regularly, I was able to create more products, better manage my time, and improve my relationships (and end those that weren’t working).
other. If you choose activity A, you must forgo doing activity B. Choose B, and you won’t be able to do A. Therein lies the reason it’s important to identify tasks and activities that complement your goals. You lack the time to do everything.
Each time we procrastinate, we choose one activity over another. The problem is, the items we postpone never go away. They linger, demanding more and more attention as time passes.
These tasks must be addressed at some point. The longer you postpone them, the more urgent they become.
The price you pay for procrastination is not always immediate. The true cost becomes apparent via a ripple effect that expands the more you put things off. This ripple effect eventually impacts both your personal and professional lives.
The Cost Of Procrastination On Your Personal Life Putting things off can negatively affect your personal life in four distinct areas: Your relationships You...
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the cost of procrastination can be much greater than is immediately apparent. The habit produces a ripple effect that can significantly impact our personal and professional lives.
Keep in mind that procrastination is a difficult habit to break. As with any habit, the longer you allow it to persist, the more deeply rooted it becomes. So if you’ve been a lifelong procrastinator, breaking the habit may take weeks, or even months.
Fear plays a significant role in our tendency to procrastinate. It manifests in various ways, but one of the strongest is through fear of failure. We hesitate to act because we’re fearful of doing something wrong. Or we fear that our actions will deliver poor results.
