By: Dr. Sanjay Kumar Agarwal, Sr. Associate Editor, ICN Group
(In the past article, we knew about the strategy to overcome procrastination when you are a born addict of doing things just before deadline. Today, we will know about the strategy to overcome procrastination in some more areas.)
You procrastinate due to fear of failure
NOIDA: If you are sometimes afraid of fear of failure, don’t worry. It is natural. Even the most successful people had fear of failure in one or more areas of their lives. Start doing the work at your hand and you will start gaining confidence. To quote Franklin D. Roosevelt, “the only thing we have to fear is fear itself.” You walk so fluently today but there was a day when you struggled balancing your body on your feet. You drive so confidently today but there was a day when you struggled balancing your vehicle. You become better and better with practice. Whatever you do repeatedly, you start becoming better than before and you will never know, when your fear of failure leaves your sub-conscious mind forever.
You procrastinate, if you are perfectionist
Some people feel that whatever they do; should be perfect or at least, look perfect. The obsession for quality sometimes takes too much of time and we postpone some things for some other day in the future, which seldom comes. If you are a perfectionist, it is time to ask yourself, whether perfectionism is actually required in the task at hand and what is the expected payoff, apart from your internal satisfaction? Is this payoff worth devoting this extra time? Identify, whether any less time-consuming option of doing it is available. Look whether perfectionism is costing you some other activities.
You fear the change
This is also one of the psychological reasons behind procrastination. We are the outcomes of our choices and habits developed over a period of time. Doing something in a particular manner always looks good, easy and safe. The fear of change has its roots in something unexpected or unpleasant activity, which everybody wants to avoid. If it is the case with you also, you must have observed that old habits are related to old places. Sometimes, change of place does miracles. Try to change the room or your chair or your office or your sitting posture or anything else and see the difference.
Here I take my own example. I used to write sitting on my bed. In my sub-conscious mind, I had an inculcated belief since childhood that the bed relates to sleep. Very soon, I tend to sleep. When I analysed my own habits, I stopped using my laptop for this and started using desktop, which was placed on a computer table and the environment was surrounded with books and other reading materials. This helped me a lot. You will also be surprised to see the change once you do these types of little adjustments to your work style.
Lack of focus due to excessive distractions
Sometimes procrastination results out of lack of focus due to distractions like too much socializing or watching too much TV or playing too much computer games. Once you get aware that these activities are sheer waste of time and are not taking you to your goals, you will start taking action on the things you were postponing till now. Once you put them on your To-Do list, it will come under your monitoring scanner; and sooner or later, will get promoted from ‘D’ priority to ‘C’ priority or above.
(In the next article, I will share about the ‘procrastination cycle’ and I assure, you will love it as you will relate to it. Hahaha. I believe that you are enjoying the journey towards the future of your dreams with me. If yes, please stay tuned. Happy G.O.P.T.A.)
Dr. Sanjay Kumar Agarwal, Creator & trademark holder of the concept G.O.P.T.A.TM is an Author, Certified NLP Lifestyle Trainer, Strategic Interventionist, Corporate Trainer & Transformational Life Coach. (http://bit.ly/Signature-Workshops-Sanjay-Kumar-Agarwal) and recipient of Honorary Doctorate of Excellence (Management) by prestigious Young Scientist University, California, USA. He is Founder of ‘International GOPTA NLP Academy’ and is popularly known among his fans & followers across the globe as ‘Time and Goal Guru’.
