Eliminating Overwhelm Part XX: The Role of Procrastination

“My mother always told me I wouldn’t amount to anything because I procrastinate. I said:  ‘Just wait.’” ~ Judy Tenuta, Comedian

We all procrastinate to some degree. There are several different reasons for procrastination and none of them are about laziness. Sometimes, procrastination adds value by giving you time to contemplate alternatives or to incubate creative ideas.

When procrastination does lead to stress and anxiety, missed deadlines and decreased productivity, then it’s a problem. There is a reason you do the things you do. You act in accordance with your thoughts and what you value. In other words, there is something that you value more than getting it done and this leads you to procrastinate.

What do you value?

I asked Allison that question. She said, “What I value is to get my work done so I can be at peace and relax.”

But her actions tell a different story. “I procrastinate which causes me to stress about my work and then I have to cram it all in last minute to get it done which causes me more stress as I worry about being able to finish in time and whether I will be able to put in the quality of work it deserves.”

There is something that you gain by procrastinating. What do you gain?

Your first thought might be, “Nothing. I gain nothing by making myself all stressed out.” But in reality, there has to be something gained or you would not partake in this behavior. After all, you do get to complain to others how hard life is and how much work you have to do. You create drama which gets other people “on your side” and you gain a lot of attention and sympathy.

There are other gains such as the chaos and excitement that comes from the adrenaline rush when a deadline looms. Perhaps you are simply addicted to the “rush.”

Identify the gain and ask yourself what it costs you.

Jake explained how his procrastination leads to overwhelm and serves as a form of self-abuse. He will procrastinate on certain things because of fear of not being good enough or for fear of success. He does not know how to receive good things because he expects the bad. So, he creates bad things, problems, chaos and overwhelm so he can prove to himself that “see, life really is hard and you can never do anything right.”

For Jake, procrastination is a symptom of a deeper issue regarding his self-esteem and his practice of self-rejection. What I mean by “symptom” is that your actions are in response to your inner world or thoughts and will bring your attention to what’s really going on.

When you procrastinate, you overvalue your fears and sabotage your success.

In order to change this pattern of self-sabotage, focus on being more conscious of what you value and making choices that honor you rather than focusing on procrastination avoidance techniques.

In any given moment, you have a choice. You have much more power than you realize. You do not have to remain at the mercy of your thoughts but rather can learn to force your actions to control your thoughts by awakening to the choices that you have available.

How do you stop procrastinating?

By choosing to value YOU over whatever momentary pleasure presents itself at that moment. By learning to take purposeful actions, you take charge of your thoughts and your time, and you not only get it done but learn to enjoy the process.

Want to learn more about how you can reduce procrastination and stress? Schedule a complimentary coaching session by sending an email to Julie@NurturingYourSuccess.com.

Your partner for success,

Coach Julie ~ Nurturing Your Success