What if it was okay to procrastinate?
I mean,
We all procrastinate.
I think it's part of human nature,
Knowing we need to do something and yet not always getting around to doing it.
And we're also told that procrastination is bad.
Now,
I used to think it was bad and now I'm sitting on the fence.
Maybe by the time I've finished my talk,
I may be off the fence.
You see,
Procrastination is viewed as wasting time and wasting anything is a bad thing.
Time,
However,
Well,
That seems doubly bad.
Time is precious.
There are commodities that you can get back,
Even if you've lost them,
Money,
Love and even trust.
Time,
On the other hand,
Once it's gone,
It's gone.
So what determines whether we're wasting time or being productive?
We've been conditioned to see using our time effectively based on if we're being productive.
That means doing the right thing,
Not just doing,
Or as I like to call it,
Productive procrastination.
So why do we procrastinate?
Well,
Could be the fear of failure.
I mean,
No one wants to get it wrong.
So avoid doing it by not starting in the first place.
The need for it to be perfect.
If it's not going to be perfect,
Then it cannot be done yet.
There are too many unknowns.
The uncertainty is too much to handle.
So waiting is the better option.
Overwhelm.
The task itself is daunting and so delaying until it feels more manageable.
It's far too difficult.
If a task is too daunting,
Let's avoid it until it becomes less difficult.
I'm sure you can list many more.
My question to you is,
What do all these excuses have in common?
The answer,
The negative language that is used,
Which triggers a negative emotion,
Which then leads to putting off doing the thing,
The task.
By simply being mindful of the language that we are using,
We can actually motivate ourselves to take action.
So how can we benefit from procrastination?
Number one,
It helps to improve self-awareness.
Next time you find yourself procrastinating or productively procrastinating,
I want you to pay attention to your thinking,
The thoughts that are popping into your head.
What are those thoughts that you are having telling you about yourself?
Number two,
Identifying limiting beliefs.
Your thoughts are not who you are.
So get curious.
How are they holding you back?
And why are they holding you back?
What is the limiting belief that you are holding on to that needs to be removed?
Number three,
It identifies a skills gap.
You may identify a legitimate skill that you do not have and that you must have to complete your task.
Number four,
It helps you to re-evaluate your priorities.
By procrastinating,
You're actually giving yourself some time.
So use it to refresh yourself.
By procrastinating,
You're actually giving yourself some time.
So use it to reflect on what you're about to do.
You may realise that this task is actually not a priority.
And even better than that,
It doesn't even need to be done at all.
Number five,
It's a distraction.
Procrastination is a great distraction.
Time away from the task that you are avoiding doing means that when you return to that task,
You can look at it with a fresh pair of eyes.
You may then see what you didn't see before,
Which makes the task feel less daunting.
So you see,
Procrastination is not as bad as we think it is.
It can actually be helpful.
We can actually use procrastinating in a powerful,
Positive way.
It just means taking some time out to understand why you're procrastinating and then deciding what's your next best move.
So I would like you to take some time to think about those moments when you've procrastinated.
What is it that you are trying to avoid,
Which means you're not doing what you know you should or want to do next?
How will that help you next time?
Take care.
