MY BLOGS

“Teach us to consider our mortality, so that we might live wisely.” Psalms 90:12

Remember your school days when you’re supposed to study for a test, and you would rather clean your working space or room instead? Nowadays we scroll through social media instead of doing laundry, washing the dishes, or paying the bills. We’re doing mindless, silly stuff and procrastinating the important things of life. We squander our time as if we have an eternity to live on this earth.

Have you ever wondered why we procrastinate? I decided to do some research amongst family and friends. Here’s some reasons the target group came up with.

We procrastinate because of:

   - Fear of failure. That feeling that you’ll never going to get it right.

   - Fear of disapproval. You would rather avoid doing stuff than being judged on your performance. You’re always wondering if you are living up to the standards.

   - The task at hand is overwhelming, too enormous to tackle. The longer you procrastinate, the bigger the task grows. When you eventually worked up the courage to engage the task you find it much more manageable than you imagined.

   - Unpleasant tasks or tasks we dislike e.g., cleaning dirty bathrooms. Maybe the task is not your cup of tea. I’ve noticed how a left-brain- engineering friend of mine procrastinates with marketing calls because working with people is not his strong point.

   - Lower priority tasks. The lower priority task lingers longer on your task list. Higher priority tasks are easy to engage in because of the urgency of their nature.

   - Difficulty in making important or stressful decisions. You’re ruminating over several choices and can’t make up your mind. Maybe when you postpone, the issue will sort itself out.

   - Perfectionism. You don’t think that you would be able to do the task perfectly. - Lack of energy. Sometimes you’re just too tired for different reasons like a lack of sleep, overworked and burnt-out, or sickness.

   - Lack of motivation. You don’t see any value in this task, and you feel it’s time wasted.

   - Not-clearly-defined tasks where your success cannot be measured.

Does the procrastination habit have any effect on our health? Yes, because we under-utilize the time available to the task/project and then we run out of time. Perceived lack of time causes stress and the cortisol (stress hormone) levels surge in your blood stream. Increased levels of cortisol cause short term memory issues and a rise in blood pressure, which could result in headaches. Stress also tightens our muscles and commonly manifests in neck, and back pain.

When procrastination becomes a lifestyle, the acute issues can morph into chronic health issues: anxiety, depression, and chronic pain.

How do we overcome the procrastination habit?

   • Be honest with yourself. Are you a procrastinator? You can only kick a bad habit if you acknowledge you have a problem.

   • Observe and give attention to the reasons for your procrastination. That will help you to address the real issue.

   • Work with a Monthly, Weekly and Daily Planner. Written down goals and objectives clear your mind from the clutter and anxiety, and you can focus better. This will also help you to stay in the moment.

   • Break down the “impossible” overwhelming tasks into smaller doable segments. Remember to walk a mile you must start with the first step, and then the second and the third and so forth.

   • Ensure the chunks of work are measurable terms of quality, time, and cost.

   • Create a work friendly environment. This will help you focus on your tasks at hand.

   • Enroll an accountability partner who will check in with you, encourage, motivate, and keep you responsible for promises on deadlines.

   • Celebrate when you have kept your appointment with yourself and you’ve completed tasks as scheduled. It helps to form new neurogenic pathways assisting in forming better habits.

   • Lastly, practice self-compassion. Leave the “beating yourself up” and focus in the moment. That’s where your strength is.

A mentor once advised if a task is longer than 3 months on your list and nothing being done, rather take it off the books and add it onto the calendar for the next year.

Pray with me today: Lord, teach me the brevity of life that I might live wisely!

Friends let’s shake the habit of procrastination. Life is too short to waste it aw

Again, a reminder to reach out to a qualified professional to assist with your emotional healing. I would love to hear how you’re faring in this “new normal” of our current circumstances. May God bless you and keep you. Leave a comment. I would love to hear from you.

Until next time!

Anita Beukman

Your Hope Coach