The Top 3 Reasons Why We Procrastinate

I was going to write an article today on procrastination, but I think I will go ahead and wait until tomorrow. I will probably have more ideas then anyways. Come to think of it, I have to make something for dinner later, so there is no way I could write it today anyways. Also, my hand kinda hurts…not good for typing…blah,blah.

Sound familiar? Most of us do it at some time or another. It is called Procrastination. We put off something we could do NOW until another time in the future. The reality is, that time in the future often never happens. Even if it does, we could have been much further toward reaching our goals if we had just started NOW.

There are many “reasons” why people procrastinate. I call them reasons, but make no mistake, they are almost always simply excuses. Let’s look at them now and see if we can try to see them from another angle as well:

1. We have better/more important things to do - Let’s take working out and getting in shape for example. I am always trying to motivate those who don’t make time for exercise and often I get the same excuse. “I will start a program soon, but I have too many important tasks on my plate.” If something is worth doing, it is worth doing NOW. If it is not important to you in your life, why even pretend you are going to do it? No one says you have to do it perfectly, or spend an inordinate amount of time on the activity, just get started! No matter what you have to do that is important, you can always make time for another activity that is important even if it is just 10 or 15 minutes.

2. We are not “ready” to begin - Some people get caught up in the “perfect preparation” mode. They put off doing something because they feel they are no prepared enough. The fact is, the only way to really prepare yourself for any activity is to get some practice at doing it. So often, the things we think are “necessary” for a particular task or activity are really superfluous and we could benefit by starting NOW with a slight modification. Take again the example of working out again, (hey, I AM Mr. Fat Loss…what did you expect?) Some people say they can’t get in shape because their gym membership expired, or they can’t find the right personal trainer, or they need to buy a new pair of running shoes to start jogging again…BS! Get on your chest and start doing pushups…NO MATTER WHERE YOU ARE! This is an excuse…nothing more.

3. We are too busy - Last but not least, folks procrastinate because they are simply too busy. Again, I call BS. We are ALL busy. The difference is in the types of activities we are doing that is keeping us busy. If we practice effective time management, almost all of us could find the time necessary to begin the activities that we have been putting off. If we wait for a time where we have NOTHING to do before we start another task or project, this time may never come. There are always things to do, the key is how you organize your time. This excuse is similar to number one activities. To use the reason “too busy” usually means you have filled up your day with “stuff”. You had no time to start that new workout program because, you were at the movies, or you were at lunch with a friend, or you were, sitting on your butt on the couch. This is an excuse, not a reason.

Stop procrastinating and start DOING. By making a list of your daily activities, you can begin to include the ones you have been putting off FIRST to begin making them a part of your daily routine. If you know an activity is productive, don’t give a “reason” to procrastinate, create an OPPORTUNITY for yourself to begin doing it!