10 Reasons Why We Procrastinate

You sit down at your desk, ready to go, fingers at the keyboard, blank white screen.  You type out a few sentences, and  maybe even a few more.  You stop to review, and think to yourself: “maybe this will be done smoothly.”

And then, two hours later, you’re still at the screen.  Only you haven’t been typing, but browsing the net instead, checking and answering your email, and looking at the pictures of the last party you and your friend attended, on facebook no less.

Or how about your resolution to get to exercising? The one that’s supposed to start Monday.  Or next Monday? But that’s not a good time for you, so it’s next next Monday.

Or that awkward email that needs a reply, or deserves one rather.  And it’s taking you forever to get that done.

Or that business you keep saying to yourself you’ll put up.  Where is it now?

You’ve got reasons.  I’ve got reasons.  I look back and realize I’ve had so many reasons I said and believed in when I wasn’t able to do something, anything, and everything!

And that got me nowhere quickly.

“Everything has got to be perfect first.”

This statement / thought / belief, is more paralyzing than you think.

It’s a statement that more often than not you feel more than you think or say.  It’s so easy to put off something when you realize you don’t have it all, right now,  to get it done.

This is the part of perfectionism that kills.  It gets you thinking that if, at this point, you’re not sure to get it done, you’re not feeling a hundred percent, then why bother?

I don’t want the taste of failure.

That hasn’t happened yet.

You’re already worrying about what could happen, when you haven’t taken a single step forward.

That’s dangerous.  Too much imagination worrying can kill you.

“I’m not sure what the next step is”

Even if I do know what I can do next, I’m scared to not get the result

“I don’t have all the tools I need to start”

And you don’t need to.  You don’t have to.

Figure out what you need along the way.

Everyone’s winging it, all works in progress.

I’m scared, I don’t know if I’ll measure up to the challenge.

You’re scared you won’t measure up to yourself.

It’s your life, remember that.  Ultimately, it will be you who will define what success is for you.

What is it that you really want to do? And do you want to have lived your life not taking a shot at getting that?

I don’t think so.

I look at all the other people already doing it, and think: “they’re already doing it, why do I have to bother?”

Because the world constantly needs people to share what they’re good at, what they’re passionate about, how they can help others, and how you can help yourself.

There will be things that only you can create, and what a disservice to you, and to the world, and to your potential audience, for you not to share it.

There will be things that only you can say in the unique way that only you can say it, and some people out there can resonate and relate with what you’re sharing.

More people than you can imagine.

There’s always more for everyone.  More than enough for everyone.

Fear – I’m scared. I’m afraid to fail. I’m afraid to get hurt again.

Poor fear, always getting blamed for people’s shortcomings and failures.  For the dreams that never come true, and the efforts that fall short.

Trauma gets us.  You know the feeling.  You just don’t want to step out there again.  It’s safer where you are.

That’s good for you, if you’re entirely happy where you are. And if nothing else in the world changes.

So at the heart of the matter, it’s not really fear.

You’re just not doing anything solid, meaningful, yet.

And if you are, then just keep on going, though you don’t see the results, yet.

You’ll see them, soon enough.

“I’m not too confident I’ll be able to pull through”

Already second-guessing yourself again, even before anything has happened?

It can happen to you, and to the best of us.

But confidence, can also come from taking that step forward, and moving on ahead.

I keep believing the bullshit stories I tell myself why I can’t / shouldn’t / wouldn’t / choose to not do it.

Woah.

That’s a bomb right there.

But think of it this way.  If you really, really, REALLY wanted to get this done, then you would do anything to get it done.  No excuses.

So if what you’re telling yourself isn’t helping you, then you’ve got to change it to something more positive.

Get real, and get positive.  You CAN do it, you know? At the end of day, there isn’t anyone else stopping you,

but you.

Maybe, I didn’t want it bad enough.

I’d like to think of it as a sign.

People distract themselves for many, many reasons.  At the end of the day, it all boils down to desire.

How much do you want it?

Procrastination, is as much of an obstacle as anything else that can stop you from getting what you want.

And great desire, can power through obstacles.

So, maybe the reason you’re procrastinating, and putting it off, not getting it done.

Is a checkpoint.  Do you want it bad enough?

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Know of any other reasons why you procrastinate?  Let me know in the comments below!