Are you a procrastinator?
This is Gary. He is an expert at putting things off. Gary is a procrastinator. A victim of his own behavior. Sure, procrastinators usually miss opportunities because they’re so overwhelmed by what they have not done. And too little focused on what they need to do. You see? Procrastination is opportunities’s natural assassin. Kills productivity; makes for poor teamwork; requires excuse after excuse to hide the problem.
Consider the physical and mental impact procrastination can have. Look at Gary. All the white hair Gary is only 35 years old. Looks 10, 15 years older, doesn’t he?
If you’re anxious most of the time constantly missing deadlines or failing to execute your responsibilities. And your thoughts are mostly negative… look out! It is almost a guarantee. You will look older than your age.
Over time, this will take an unexpected physical toll on you. Elevated blood pressure. Lack of sleep. Less attention on things that matter. Even “burn out.”
Like sludge in a pipe, procrastinating will block new ideas, and thoughts from entering your brain. No room at the inn? Think about that. The frustration of not executing what’s in front of you. Little or no room to entertain new creative thoughts? You are in big trouble.
There is another possible outcome if procrastinating known as the “cost of delay.” Take a decision right in front of you, that you put off for now. “I want to buy this beautiful expensive watch. Can I afford it? Might I lose it? Should I buy the stock now or not? And you go back to the store where the watch you decided to buy… was gone. Already bought. And you didn’t buy the stock, and year later it was up 30%. Both random events that could have been avoided had you made both decisions without delay. The inevitable frustration. you experience. Here, in the office, at home, everywhere is the cost you pay for delay. You are a procrastinator.
Then there is Steve. He is a procrastinator. He has all the characteristics of a hoarder.
Look at his office, his home that he shares with his new wife of six months. Both are a mess with papers, magazines. You get it. His wife was becoming increasingly frustrated. Steve wasn’t concerned about any of this, until a good friend casually asked him at lunch one day, “Steve, how’s your sex life?”
Steve smiled and replied, “Great!” But after lunch, he thought about it. Ouch! He hadn’t made love with his young wife for weeks, maybe months. “Wow!”
This wasn’t due to a lack of desire. Steve realized he was so preoccupied with his work, all the decisions he put off. Emails, memos, reports. He’d put aside having sex with his lovely new wife. Thankfully, this was something that finally got Steve’s
attention. Did this motivate Steve to change his behavior? Well, let’s not get carried away. He did slow down a bit. Got organized enough… so he could at least be “with” his wife a couple of times a week.
The question a procrastinator needs to ask himself is, “Why should I change?” Until you answer this question, any change or even slight revision of behavior, will not happen. No clear why? No meaningful change.
Consider this:
*Can you identify with Steve at all?
*What price might you be paying for too little focus on the things that matter?
*Is there a family member or good friend who might be paying a price for his procrastinating? Has it affected your relationship? If so, how?