Do you recognise the procrastination signs?

We hear about the word procrastination a lot nowadays, but can you recognise it in yourself? If I am honest, I have been procrastinating recently and I am sure it’s something many can relate to. Often, we do not even realise we are doing it.

I wanted to understand why I was procrastinating in the first place. My coaching journey has helped with this process. You see sometimes we just need a little bit of help to explore our beliefs and fears. After all, we do not want procrastination to slow down our goals and dreams. It can create feelings of anxiety and frustration, so we don't want it rearing its ugly head on a regular basis.

Before we can change anything, we need to have an awareness. Here are just a few signs to help you recognise procrastination:

• Poor time management - when you cannot find the time to get things done or things take longer than they normally would
• Feeling overwhelmed - don’t know where to start, find it hard to break tasks down
• Give up too easily - you get started on something but keep getting stuck and cannot see how to get the task finished
• Blame others for your inaction
• Giving in to self-doubt - disappointed and angry with yourself for putting things off

I can recall many times when I have wasted hours re-reading emails or a particular piece of work. It's got to the end of the day and I am annoyed with myself for not starting it sooner or allowing myself to get distracted.

Sound familiar? You're not alone!

The good thing is that if you have an awareness then you can CHOOSE TO CHANGE. Try not to get trapped in the procrastination cycle. Over time, constant procrastination can have destructive effects on both our mental and physical health.

To overcome this, you need to understand the reasons why you are procrastinating before you can begin to tackle it. Why do you keep putting off certain tasks or projects? Exploring your beliefs and fears are important to improving your motivation. One reason for procrastination is the belief that the action will have a negative consequence. We often think we are going to fail or that something will go wrong. But the reality is we end up making it worse by delaying the task and this just exacerbates our stress levels.

So, what can we do to avoid procrastinating?

• Focus on your why – why do you need to complete this task? What's the outcome?
• Be realistic with the deadline
• Break the task down into smaller chunks
• Try visualising the completion of your task
• Avoid distractions and stay focussed
• Stop the excuses
• Stop the perfectionism tendencies – Done Is Better Than Perfect. This is one I am continually working on myself!

So, why don’t you give this a go. Try getting a task done today that you have been putting off. Yes, I know it’s hard, but you can do it.

Notice the difference in how you feel once you have completed it - hopefully accomplished and mentally lighter. The more you recognise these positive emotions the more motivated you will feel to continue.

I’ll leave you with this quote.

"My advice is never do tomorrow what you can today. Procrastination is the thief of time". (Charles Dickens)

If procrastination is something you struggle with and you want to explore further, feel free to either drop me a direct message on LinkedIn or email me at sarah@sarah-giles.com.