Procrastination
Procrastination usually involves ignoring an unpleasant task even if it is an important task. Sometimes the task is put off in favor of one that is more enjoyable or easier. Thus, Procrastination is an active process which you choose to do something else instead of the task that you know you should be doing.
Symptoms of Procrastination
One of the most common symptoms of procrastination is the fear of a negative or an unknown outcome. If you are overwhelmed by anxiety, you may feel that you are inadequate, or incapable of the task, or that you are a failure. You may put off tasks because you are afraid of not achieving “perfect” results. Or, you may be a perfectionist (a person who refuses to accept any standard short of perfection). You may also fear being criticized.
Personally, I am a perfectionist and I am not afraid of criticism. Usually I am highly critical of the non-perfectionist.
How to recognize That You are Procrastinating
You might be putting off a task because you have had to re-prioritize your workload. If you are briefly delaying an important task for a genuinely good reason, then you are not necessarily procrastinating. However, if you start to put things off indefinitely, or switch focus because you want to avoid doing something, then you are probably procrastinating.
How to Stop Procrastination
Break large tasks into smaller chunks, and pick one that you can do now, so that you are underway towards completing a larger task, almost without realizing it!
1. Make a plan. Put times or dates on the key tasks on your list, so that you know what to concentrate on and when. For example, I started writing this information as soon as we got off the call last week. I was inspired by the brothers suggestion of giving a talk on procastination.
2. Finish the task. When you spot a task that is nearly done, put extra effort into getting it over the line. Do not allow yourself to be tempted to leaving the tasks unfinished: enjoy the satisfaction of completing the job at hand!
Be kind to yourself. No one ever gets to the end of their to-do list! Do your best to meet your life-lines, and celebrate your successes. But be realistic: you will always have more to do than there are hours in the day.
As for me, no job is ever complete, that is, there is always something that can be tweked to make it better, more perfect. I just have to find a good stoping point which can be conceived as finished.
I could carry this subject into a sermon, but this looks like a good stopping point.
So ... Todah and selah
P.S. I am a research writer, I can research and write on just about any topic if someone want something researched and talked about. Just note that I attempt to put things in an unadultrated truth format - not geared towards anyone's established system.
Elitsedek
