Achieving success
Do you always have a story?
All procrastination is the result of us fooling ourselves. We always have a story why we have not completed a task or have not achieved the success we want.
Procrastination lets us deny reality, refusing to accept responsibility for our lives. To eliminate procrastination you need to stop playing games with yourself. You won’t stop procrastinating until you accept the fact that you are responsible for your life. That may be more honesty than many people are capable of, but there is no other way to achieve a richer life.
The first step toward overcoming procrastination is recognizing that it’s a problem. Everyone has big problems and small problems, but most problems are made worse by procrastinating and not addressing them.
Does any of the following sound like your story....
• You know what you should do about a problem, and in many cases you know what specific action needs to be taken. But you still find reasons to avoid action.
• You are reluctant to do anything about a problem now, but vow to take action at some vague time in the future.
• You promise to take action when the “right” circumstances present themselves. By making the “action” dependent on something else, you justify your decision to take no action. You tell yourself that your hands are tied. You would like to do something but can’t, so it’s not your fault.
Research has shown that you can develop new habits in just two weeks if you’re serious about changing. Think about people you know who always get things done. What are their work habits? How do they approach unappealing tasks? How do they stay focused?
We are not victims of our circumstances. You can overcome procrastination now, you can do the things that need to be done. Also, you can learn to distinguish between the things that need to be done now and the things that can wait.
If you’re not where you want to be in life, take a hard look at yourself and make sure you’re not someone who always has a “story” about why it wasn’t your fault you couldn’t come through on the job or address that problem. I am certain that if you’re someone who delivers results and not procrastination stories, you will be well on your way to creating a better life and achieving the success you desire.