What Are You Waiting For?

What Are You Waiting For?
What is procrastination?

Psychologists define procrastination as the mechanism that we use to cope with the anxiety related to beginning or completing a task or decision. These behaviors that we use to procrastinate are useless, delaying and often even counterproductive. We put off completing a task or making a decision that we find uncomfortable or dislike. We tell to ourselves that we are waiting for that perfect moment, that perfect opportunity. We come up with a million and one excuses as to why we are waiting to start or finish what we started. We have all procrastinated at one point on our lives. It is normal to procrastinate to some degree. But, when this is a chronic behavior or when we procrastinate about something that we claim we want to do, such as loosing weight, quit smoking or starting your own business, then you must look deep inside of you and find the real reason for this procrastinating behavior.
Why do we procrastinate?

A more accurate question may be at times what do I feel I gain by not getting started or finished what I started? In my experience, fear plays a great factor in procrastinating. Fear of what might happen when our lives change as a result of taking action. Fear of change, of the unknown. Of course we know that our lives will be different, but how different? Will it still feel like "my" life? Will I feel like I am "me"? Fear of failure, we cannot fail at what we don't get started. There might be fear of loosing what we have, what we know and feel comfortable with. For example, someone that wants to loose weight but procrastinates beginning the lifestyle changes that will lead him/her to loosing weight such as eating a healthier diet and exercising regularly might fear loosing her also overweight friends who might now look at her/him as him/her not being the same person. There might even be fear of success. What? Fear of success? It may be easy to understand fear of failure, but, of succeeding? Yes, some people unknowingly may have fear of success. Why? Possibly, a person with fear of success had a deep belief that rich people are rich because they cheated, or are selfish or some other negative trait that is attached to being financially independent subconsciously. This person will procrastinate starting his/her own business for fear at becoming financially independent and thus a cheater, or selfish, or whatever. Or, possibly, this person may not believe to be worthy of the kind of financial independence he/she dreams of due to low self esteem.
How can we overcome procrastination?

Here are some suggestions to overcome procrastination.

1. Ask yourself what you gain from not starting (or finishing) the task or making that decision that you dread. Be honest with yourself. I find useful to ask myself why? And when I answer, ask myself Why? again. Keep asking yourself why until there is no longer an answer.
2. Get someone else involved. For example, it's much easier to exercise regularly when you have someone to do it with or that will hold you accountable.
3. If it's a task that you feel is too involved or too big and overwhelming for you to handle, break it down into smaller, more manageable steps and complete them one at a time.
4. Reward yourself for having completing the task or a step to the task.
5. Delegate if possible. At home for example, who likes to clean? Certainly not me. But when I delegate all the different chores involved with cleaning between my daughters, my husband and myself, cleaning goes much faster.
6. Decide what's important and what can really wait. I organize my to do list as A1, A2, A3, B1, B2, B3, and so on. The top priority that cannot wait I give it an A1 priority, and so on.
7. Visualize yourself completing the task, and how you would feel when you are done. Not just imagine but feel the feeling of having accomplished what you wanted, having reached your goal.
8. Don't think about it too much. Jump and do it! Don't wait for life to happen to you.