[Lansingmi] Short but interesting article on procrastination

[Mary Ann Rojek]

Understanding Procrastination  By  Jim Rohn (an excerpt from the Life Success Time
Management module)
Procrastination. Paul of Tarsus said in his writing that, "the things I want to do,
I do not do." This is a problem that is as old as humanity itself. I am sure that
the wheel would have been invented and fire discovered much earlier if it weren't
for procrastination!
Humans have two incredible abilities: First, they are able to become crystal clear
about what it is they want. Secondly, they are able to completely put off pursuing
it!
So what drives procrastination? I believe there are a few primary things that cause
people to procrastinate.
Fear. In my opinion, this is the biggest source of procrastination. People procrastinate
because they are afraid. They are afraid of failure; they are afraid of success.
They are afraid they will do a poor job or of what others will think of them. I want
to encourage you to think about whether or not this is an issue for you. If so, do
whatever it takes to deal with your fears.
Hard work. Some people procrastinate because they know that doing the work will be
hard. Many people have an aversion to hard work so they procrastinate, putting it
off indefinitely. Realize for yourself that being successful usually requires a lot
of hard work. Sometimes it is physically exhausting, sometimes mentally or emotionally
exhausting. But let me assure you of this, if you invest in the miracle of hard labor
required to accomplish your goals, the rewards, the gifts, the feelings of increased
self-esteem you will reap will far outweigh the pain of labor. For at the end of
your efforts you will be able to smile with the deep satisfaction of knowing you
have faithfully sowed and that now you can joyfully reap - and reap without complaint
or apology! What a powerful opportunity to invest in the labor that creates miracles.
Lack of passion. In other words, whatever it is that they are doing isn't really
something they are passionate about. Some people procrastinate because deep down
they aren't really passionate about what it is they "should be" doing. It isn't really
a priority for them or for their life, even if they have called it one. This is an
issue of going back to the drawing board and becoming clear about your priorities
and values, then having the courage to live them out.
An inability to motivate themselves. Some people procrastinate because they do not
know how to get themselves going internally. They wait until something externally
moves them. You've heard me give the example of the guy who says, "I wish someone
would come by and turn me on and get me motivated." Well, what if they don't show
up? You've got to have a better plan than that, you've got to be self-motivated because
that is ultimately the best motivation. Now, everyone is motivated differently, and
it is your job to figure out what it is that really motivates you. And then do what
it takes to get there and stay there.
Time wasters and procrastination are the roadblocks that will keep you from reaching
your goals. This week work to become aware of what things you waste your time on
and what drives your procrastination. As you come to realize these things, as you
become fully aware, you will be better equipped to overcome them.
-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: <http://nfbnet.org/pipermail/lansingmi_nfbnet.org/attachments/20100805/59d87e8b/attachment.html>
-------------- next part --------------
A non-text attachment was scrubbed...
Name: acb-hsp at acb.org.vcf
Type: text/x-vcard
Size: 142 bytes
Desc: not available
URL: <http://nfbnet.org/pipermail/lansingmi_nfbnet.org/attachments/20100805/59d87e8b/attachment.vcf>