Procrastination

This
month we’re going to look at the P word. No, not potatoes or pogo
sticks. The word is procrastination, what it really is and practical
tips you can use to challenge it. So, without further ado, let’s get on
with it!

Why procrastination this month?

June
is, after all,  the midpoint of the year. As I was reviewing my yearly
plans I was thinking about why some goals and plans came to fruition and
why others didn’t, and why some goals appear on my list time and time
again and never get met. When I think researching a topic will benefit
me and the JIM community, I take action. That’s just what I did with the
topic of procrastination and here’s what I found.

It’s estimated that 15-20 percent of the general
population are procrastinators. Now while I don’t consider myself to be a
procrastinator, we all do have times when we find ourselves
procrastinating, and it takes its toll. Putting things off, in economic
terms, is costly, as productivity decreases. For us personally, chronic
procrastination puts our jobs and careers at risk, and hurts our
self-esteem, health and general well-being.

Although procrastination is generally associated
with certain personality types, and some scientists believe it is partly
genetic, so far no one has come up with a physiological cause for it.
That means that a tendency to procrastinate isn’t correlated with any
one gene or any one area of your brain or central nervous system. And as
you likely know from your own life experience, procrastination is not
always happening in all areas of your life. You may procrastinate at
losing fat, for instance and yet be excelling at your career.

Procrastination comes from a Latin word meaning “in
favor of tomorrow.”  It can be thought of as a subconscious delay in, or
avoidance to, carrying out certain actions. One description of
procrastination I came across that is simple to understand is that
procrastination is a matter of self-regulation or self-control. Certain
people can’t regulate their behavior very well and procrastination is a
manifestation of this.

While the act of procrastinating is done
intentionally, there is a subconscious underlying emotional cause. So
for instance, if your conscious mind says, “This week I’m going to go
for a run 4 times,” you’ll have an emotional response. If it’s positive,
you’ll run 4 times that week, if it’s negative, you won’t.

Sometimes we link perfectionism with
procrastination. Studies I read suggested that perfectionists actually
procrastinate less, but they worry about it more. Procrastinators have
less confidence in themselves and less of an expectation that they can
actually complete a task. There are other factors in the procrastination
equation, such as the value you assign to completing a task, how useful
the task is, and your sensitivity to delay. Procrastinators would
definitely have a different tolerance for the consequences of delaying
tasks. I found this point interesting because I had linked perfectionism
and procrastination in a cause and effect way. This gives me a more
accurate lens to behaviorally view what’s going on when I look at
procrastination issues.

For those of you who rationalize procrastination by
saying things like, “I work better and I’m more creative under
pressure,” studies show that when pressure increases, intelligence and
creative thinking are diminished. Recognize that your procrastination is
more about fear of change or self-sabotaging your efforts.

My greater interest in procrastination, because of
the work I do, is more about how procrastination affects health and
wellness.

Weight loss and exercise are the two
most popular goals that people give over and over again when asked what
they procrastinate about the most. Internal resistance is not usually
overcome by willpower. You may have noticed this! Our internal voice
that’s afraid of failure, or is embarrassed, will eventually overcome
willpower.

So let’s look at some practical tips you can use to
handle procrastination when it’s happening in your life.

First,
take these four action steps so that you’ll see when you
procrastinate.

1. Focus on your goals by creating a clear picture
of what you want.

2. Make note of any limiting
beliefs you’ll need to change to reach your goal.

3. Develop a plan.

4. Break down your plan into
smaller actions. As an example, work on a project like cleaning out
your house for half an hour, or start exercising for 10 minutes a day.
You can gradually increase the time when you’ve experienced success.

Some more ideas:

* Build
positive behaviors. This often requires that we act “as if.” So act as
if you’ve overcome procrastination.

* Keep a
written record of your progress. It works for you on so many levels.
It’ll encourage you when you’re feeling discouraged and be a good
reality check. It’ll also help you see your sticky points and where
procrastination snuck in.

* Put a system of rewards in place. Each step along
the way leads to the goal, and often waiting until the whole goal is
accomplished is too long a time period in between rewards.

* Have a support system in place. Friends and family who will encourage
and support your success.

* Visualize yourself
accomplishing your goal. Visualization is a powerful tool for
programming your subconscious to align with your conscious goals. Using
positive affirmations work the same way.

* Create a routine that works for you. If you notice
when you schedule a workout for later in the day that you put it off,
then create a new behavior, like exercising first thing in the day.

* Notice the language you use when you procrastinate.
Our self-talk is crucial to our success in life. Language is subtle and
can set us up for procrastination behaviors or success behaviors. Make
sure to notice if your self-talk is full of fear, worry, or doubt. Then,
don’t procrastinate! Change your self-talk into positive,
self-affirming, success oriented language.

The path of procrastination is always a challenge.
Whether or not you’d place yourself in the 15-20% of the general
population that chronically procrastinates, it affects us all. As you
head into the second half of 2009, take a look at your goals and plans
and see where procrastination has reared its head. Use this information
and these tips and take charge.

Minimize the P word and maximize the J
word……Joyinmovement, of course!

shelli

P.S.
My latest ventures with my www.activemenopauselifestyle.com/blog
and products are going full steam ahead. Thank you for all your support
and feedback.  Check out the link below and see what I’ve been up to
this past month!

PLEASE check this link  http://ezinearticles.com/?expert_bio=Shelli_Stein