Re-blogged Wisdom From www.tammyvitale.com: 4 Positive Possibilities For Procrastination

I ended last week with my first ever re-blog, and I'm beginning this week with another.  While I don't intend to get into the re-blog habit or make it a regular feature of my own blog, it was just good fortune that brought both of these pieces to my attention, and because I feel strongly about the importance of this piece from Tammy Vitale, I'm bringing it to you.  Enjoy!   --Barbara

4 Positive Possibilities For Procrastination 

via tammyvitale.com

One of the biggest “problems” potential clients talk to me about is procrastination.  I hear:  “Oh, I’m such a procrastinator.”  “Oh, I always wait to the very last minute.”  “Oh, I procrastinated too long and then couldn’t do my best work.”

Everyone thinks procrastination is negative. 

Here’s a secret!  Procrastination carries a message, you just have to consciouisly pay attention to what your actions (and your subconscious, driving those actions) is trying to tell you.

1.  It isn’t really procrastination.  It’s overwhelm.  So you’re stuck stock still in the headlights of the oncoming truck and your conscious mind is blank. 

You have a list.  You woke up with 3 must dos, 2 want to dos and 4 should dos.  Before you were out of bed, you were already behind.

Stop!  Take a breath.  Bring all the worries to consciousness.  Write down all the to-dos whirling around your brain.  Make them concrete.  Now prioritize your top 3 things.  If there are more than 3 things that MUST be done today, you are on overwhelm. 

2.  It really IS procrastination.  You are putting it off because you don’t want to do it.  Have a look at the “why” of doing it – why do you HAVE to do it in the first place?  Is it in accordance with your true priorities and life’s passion?  If it’s not, why are you doing it?  And if it is – what are you hiding from yourself, because if it’s really your passion, you’ll dive right in!.

3.  It’s productive procrastination.  You find yourself cleaning the refrigerator rather than tackling something you know is your passion (if you’re home-based).  Your subsonscious is saying:  take a break.  You need to think about this some more.  Go for a walk (that take something out of the “must exercise” column).    Don’t think – just go through the motions.  In half an hour what it trying to break through will have had the space to do so and you can dive right in.

4.  It’s really procrastination and it’s bringing unconscious motivations into the light showing you what you avoid.  It allows you to see patterns.  And once seeing, it allows you to correct by identifying the story running in your head – and then pick the story apart.  Are you giving to much time to things you don’t love and aren’t passionate about?  Are you afraid of failure (or success? – the end result is the same.  Don’t do anything and you’ll have neither).  Do you need to hire help or delegate work (share control)? Do you need to get clear on what your true passion is and what you really really want to do with your life instead of that thing over there that you are so assiduously avoiding?

Contrary to what we all think, procrastination is a positive experience that calls us to have an inner conversation.

So next time you think “I’m procrastinating” – stop and breathe.  And change your reaction of  beating yourself up for it.  Instead welcome procrastination to the table and sit down and chat for a while!

via tammyvitale.com

Comments

[Rosie]

Ouch! They say the truth hurts and the one thing the new year always brings me is the accounts - I detest it. And now, because of the stuff going on at home in the background, I keep putting it off... However, today it made #1 in the "must dos", so... Be back when they're done!! xo

[Tam]

Thanks for sharing, Barbara!