Wednesday, December 21, 2011

Healing Procrastination

I must admit that I too have been a procrastinator in my life. You know, waiting to the last minute to get something done and then rushing to get it done just as the hand of the clock chimes, "Your time is up! Put down your pencils" Procrastination lends itself to feeling stressed, worried and rushed, also known as crazymaking.



                               How does it serve you to wait to the very last minute?

 Are you trying to prove something to yourself or others? Perhaps when you were a kid in school you thought, I am so smart (or clever) that I can wait to the last minute and still get a good grade? In other words, "Look how good I am." 

Or perhaps instead you feel unworthy of your time. Therefore, you waste it or give it up to others, only to then wonder why you do not have any time for yourself?

Regardless of the reason, why put yourself through this unnecesssary torture time and time again, when you can do things differently.

Learn to ADD rather than to subtract time.  In other words, set your watch five minutes earlier and forget that you have done so.  Add time to whatever time you allow to accomplishing a task. For example if you think it will take you 15 minutes to run to the post office, give yourself 20. Even better is to add in an extra 10 minutes. That can feel luxurious to the procrastinator. Imagine having an extra 10 minutes!  

Learn how nice it is to arrive early. People who avoid arriving early often feel uncomfortable waiting. In order to avoid waiting, they push the limits on the time and sadly, arrive late and keep others waiting. 

Learn to do things EARLY. If a paper is due on Wednesday, you hand it in on Tuesday. You complete it by Sunday and review it for the last time on Monday. Give yourself extra time, rather than just barely enough time.

To heal procrastination, one must become comfortable with being early. Try it on for size. You will worry less and relax more. 

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