Abandon all excuses and stop procrastinating!

Stop making excuses for why you cannot or will not do something. Excuses hinder your personal growth and block all opportunities for your personal and professional success.

Just do what needs to be done.

Why do so many people procrastinate when it comes to doing what they must or should do? Aren't your dreams, desires or intended actions worthy of better consideration? Shouldn't it be important enough to stop wasting time avoiding what you keep running away from?

When you procrastinate, how much time are you wasting on something that isn't nearly as important as the thing you should be doing? When you procrastinate, you delay some type of needed action; you delay opportunities. In fact, if you procrastinate long enough, you can do so until the opportunity is lost.

There is another element that fuels excuses and procrastination: Fear. Fear can manifest itself in various ways. If allowed, fear really does cripple a lot of people. It keeps them from becoming who they truly should be; keeping them from walking in their personal greatness.

When you are walking in fear, you allow yourself to create excuses that cause you to procrastinate. How many times have you thought to do something, but kept making excuses for why you could not or would not do that something? This continued and then you discovered that an opportunity was missed because you did not take action. How did that make you feel? Had you moved forward when you were inspired to do so, the outcome would have been different, don't you think? Yet people continue to procrastinate over and over again.

What about the excuses people give themselves? It makes most people feel better when they call those excuses reasons, but they really are no more than opportunities to miss opportunities.

Causes of procrastination — Other than fear, what are some of the other causes of procrastination? Think about your own life. What comes up when you find yourself procrastinating?

* More enjoyable things to do;
* Waiting for the right frame of mind or situation to get started; or
* Easier to do only the action items that are within comfort zone;

Whatever causes you to procrastinate, you should understand that it does impact your goals and visions.

So what are some ways you can deal with or avoid procrastination?

* Use rewards to motivate;
* Revisit the reasons why you created the plan in the first place;
* Break down larger tasks or goals into smaller action items so you’re not overwhelmed; and
* Have an accountability partner;

Think of something that you have been putting off. It doesn't have to be anything big. It could be something that just keeps nagging at you that you know you need to address. First, try to assess why you keep avoiding it. If it is goal oriented, check your level of determination or motivation. Is it something that you truly desire or something that is in alignment with your goals? If it is not, then just decide to let it go so you're not procrastinating any longer. You are wasting time and energy both by holding on to the matter and by making excuses why you won't move forward with the action. Now, if it's fear, recognize it. Then just decide that you will not make any excuses for why you cannot do what you need to do. Just do the thing and move on.

Decide today to not let procrastinating and excuses keep you from the opportunities that await you, whatever they are.

With definiteness of purpose,
Gwen Thibeaux