Procrastination is my middle name. I also have the middle name of persistence. Believe it or not, the two go together. Persistence offsets my natural way of being which is procrastination. It's a severe character defect but with the help of dogged persistence, I have managed to get a few things done in my life that were amazingly challenging.
In the process of dealing with procrastination, I've learned a few things that are helpful. One of the main reasons for procrastination is that whatever I'm procrastinating about isn't fun to do. That should be plain as day, but often isn't. It takes me awhile to admit that that is the problem. Then the only answer is to make it fun in some way. If it lends itself to a party, I can always invite friends over to help, order pizza and have a party. That's what I did when I needed to clean the soot off books I saved from a fire. I've never tried to have a party for help with taxes, though. I don't think there's a way to do it. But it does help for me to treat myself with a lovely reward as soon as I finish something difficult. In order to do that, I have to overcome the feeling that everyone has to do taxes, so I shouldn't need to be rewarded for doing what is clearly just the right thing to do and just reward myself anyway.
Another big reason for procrastination is that whatever action I'm not wanting to take is associated with taking up time that I would otherwise be using to do something enjoyable. (There's a pattern here - do you see it?) So, the first thing I do is make sure I don't eliminate something I love to do in favor of something I don't want to do. One of the things I used to LOVE to do was just sit and talk with my husband. We could do that for hours. I don't know that anyone else would have found our conversations entertaining, but we thought we were fascinating. It really is pretty easy to find slots of time when I wouldn't even miss the activity I do in that slot. Then I can fit the procrastination activity into that slot until it's done.
Of all the things that can derail the trip to the life of our dreams, procrastination is a big one. It's vital that we find ways to overcome it.
Empowerment enhances the ability of individuals or organizations to make choices and transform those choices into positive outcomes. Empowered people have recognized their own value and strength and their capacity to handle life's problems. In turn they are better able to influence the course of their lives. With information and support, most people can find within themselves the power to direct their lives and reach their dreams.
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