Procrastination

Someone once said, "If it weren't for the last minute, I wouldn't get anything done." It seems that no matter how hard I try I find myself living by this quotation as do many others.

Although most of us believe we know the meaning of procrastination there are actually two kinds of procrastination; positive procrastination and negative procrastination. According to PowerFull Living positive procrastination is "taking time to gather your thoughts, review or research information to gain clarity so that you can make the best decisions for yourself and take actions that move you towards what you desire." Negative procrastination, commonly just referred to as procrastination is defined by Merriam-Webster as intentionally putting off something that must be done. Just as there are different types of procrastination there are also different types of procrastinators; thrill seekers, avoiders, and decisional procrastinators. Thrill seekers are procrastinators who get an adrenaline rush out of waiting until the last minute and feeling the pressure of being close to a deadline. Avoiders are those procrastinators who put off tasks for fear of success or failure and are often times perfectionists. Decisional procrastinators are those procrastinators who are those who are indecisive. They do not like having to make decisions and by procrastinating they often avoid having to make a decision.

We all know that procrastination is bad and can have some very undesirable consequences, both internal (stress and anxiety) and external (missing a deadline). But why is it that if we know that procrastination is bad and has undesirable consequences that we continue to do it? As well all know there are a number of reasons people procrastinate, some of which I have already covered. The top seven reasons people procrastinate, according to PowerFull Living, are fear of success/failure, lack of desire, lack of inspiration from goals/dreams, lack of motivation, negativity, feeling of being overwhelmed and distractions.

Procrastination is a vice that can be overcome. According to MindTools the first step to overcoming procrastination is to recognize that you're doing it. Once you've established that you are procrastinating the next step is to get to the bottom of exactly why it is that you're procrastinating. Once you have discovered why you are procrastinating it will be easier to address this issue. The final way to overcome procrastination is by adopting anti-procrastination strategies. These anti-procrastination strategies range from making a prioritized to-do list to rewarding yourself for accomplishing the task.

Remember, "a journey of a thousand miles must begin with a single step."

J