Procrastination Is My Revelation

2020 for me and my family started out with the four of us celebrating the new year on the beach looking up at the fireworks display, eating our grapes, and contemplating the future. Less than a week later the first challenge occurred of being re-organized out of a position. This unexpected change set in motion a series of ideas and possibilities that led to re-identifying my purpose, re-engaging my personal growth, and re-directing my compass. As I established my battle rhythm, then came COVID. Even with the pandemic, what was derailing me from achieving my goals was something we all share? Realizing this I approached my procrastination as a revelation in creating a tool to help me focus on achieving my results and, I am hoping it can help you.

The Merriam-Webster dictionary defines procrastination as “to put off intentionally and habitually.” The intentionally and habitually set off a series of thoughts as I realized I needed to make a pivot. According to a University of Sheffield 2013 study by Dr. Pychyl and Dr. Sirois, they identified procrastination could be realized as, “the primacy of short-term mood repair.” Hmm, I thought to myself as I realized that maybe this could help me overcome my procrastination. This is how I came up with the acronym of KNOW and how I now tell myself, KNOW More!

·      Knowledge – I define personal self-awareness as an essential skill of recognizing your emotions, mannerisms, and overall reactions as it relates to being exposed to a variety of stimuli. Knowing yourself is the first step in overcoming your procrastination as this helps in self-managing you and your next steps.

·      Name – Self-awareness is a wonderful thing, realizing and reacting in a particular moment in order to achieve positive results is a gift. Whether you are motivated, derailed, inspired, or deflated name your mood. This helps in empowering you to do the next step which is owning it.

·      Own – “Taking personal accountability means making a personal choice to rise above one’s circumstances and demonstrate the ownership necessary for achieving desired results; to see it, own it, solve it and do it.” This is revealed in “The Oz Principle: Getting Results Through Individual and Organizational Accountability” authored by Roger Connors and Tom Smith. When you take responsibility for your actions you now pivot your energies from defending or avoiding the problem to taking the next step is working it.

·      Work – It is now time to simply do however, what tactics or strategies can be implemented to self-manage? Some will utilize a coffee break or the purchase of something special as a way to intrinsically motivate one’s self in getting things done. Whatever it may be, you already have the knowledge of your self-awareness in what motivates you. Now, you can leverage it to eliminate procrastination and achieve results.

Procrastination is my revelation in utilizing KNOW and the commitment I choose to say KNOW more to procrastinating. I am super excited for the coming year as hope, empowerment and new possibilities fill my mind of great things yet to come for 2021. Take a stance now to your revelation of KNOW more.