3 Ways to Resolve Procrastination
“Procrastination is like a credit card: it's a lot of fun until you get the bill” - Christopher Parker
What is procrastination?
It is when you convince yourself that there is "all the time in the world" to get a task done. You tell yourself, that there is always a tomorrow! But this attitude can become a stubborn habit. Mentioned below are three reasons for procrastination and also three ways of resolving it.
1. Lack of Purpose
Life Purpose of Most Successful People
“Find a purpose to serve, not a lifestyle to live”- Criss Jami
Lack of purpose is the biggest reason for procrastination
Purpose lends a meaning and direction to our life. Purpose dominates our actions and behavior. When the purpose is missing, you fail to realize your priorities and cat on them. If I told you that your life would end in 30 days, and you could save it by not procrastinating, you'd have enough reason to act to save your life. That is the role of purpose in our lives.
Now how would find a purpose to your life? Ask yourself the following
- What is it that matters to me the most?
- What is it that I desire?
- What are my goals?
- Who do I want to help?
- Why am I doing what I'm doing?
- Who will benefit?
- What do I care about?
Asking yourself these questions, will help you figure out your true purpose. Remember to write them down, and remind yourself of the answers every day. Before you know it, you'll be motivated to take action everyday without fail, because you now have a "why" behind your actions.
2. Too much thinking, not enough Action
“There are risks and costs to action. But they are far less than the long range risks of comfortable inaction” - John F. Kennedy
It's so easy to think about doing something and even simpler to put it off until tomorrow. But doing that just guarantees you'll never do it. If you put it off today, you'll put it off tomorrow, and the process will continue. In fact, thinking about doing the thing you know you need to do, doesn't motivate you to take action. It just keeps you thinking about it.
So the solution is simple. Stop thinking about it so much, instead act upon it! You will realise that doing rather than just thinking is more productive.
3. Lack of Accountability
“Accountability breeds response-ability” - Stephen Covey
If you have nobody to hold you accountable for your actions, you're likely to dismiss them. But when you're made accountable for your actions, you have more motivation and reason to get things done. There's no motivation in being surrounded by people who fail to encourage you or hold you accountable in any way. You need people who will challenge you, hold you accountable and help you grow as a person.
For example, in the weekly mastermind groups that I belong to:
- We set goals.
- We discuss our plans, problems, solutions, etc.
- We encourage each other.
- Help each other.
- Push and challenge each other to do better.
And because the mastermind is on a weekly basis, we're held accountable for our actions.
Nobody wants to admit they've slacked off, right? But that's enough reason to do whatever it is we said we'd do, by the following meeting. The solution here is to either find ways to hold yourself accountable or surround yourself with people who would do it for you.
Then procrastination will be the least of your problems, I can assure you of that!
