Procrastination affects everyone at one point or another in their life and is one of the most complex emotions there is. You want to get something accomplished yet there is some type of unseen force that seems to be stopping you. For some people this is a big issue that keeps them from reaching their full potential. For others it is minimal and exists in moderation.
Regardless of the degree to which you procrastinate, it is still one of the major roadblocks that keep you from achieving your goals. So what are some of the characteristics of procrastination and what goes on in your subconscious mind?
1Traits of Procrastination
The biggest evil of procrastination is waiting until the last minute to complete a task and then ending up achieving positive results. This tends to breed more procrastination and it begins to become a vicious cycle. Although you achieved positive results you also have the imposter syndrome because you know you did not put your best work into the project. Other traits include:
- Negative Self-Image: If you grew up in an unsupportive environment chances are you have a lot of self-doubt and low self-esteem. Although you know what high achievement is, you still see yourself as unable of reaching higher standards.
- Victim Mentality: Being raised in a negative environment can cause you to develop a victim mentality which is one of the traits of procrastination. You cannot seem to accomplish things you see others doing and you are not sure why. It is not that you don’t want to, it just seems like there is this wall that is blocking you from getting started.
- Justification: You may find yourself justifying in your mind why you are not moving forward with a particular task. You are too busy. It may seem like you are busy and you use this as an excuse; however, it is because your schedule is scrambled and mismanaged and you are putting off things in those other areas as well.
- Reduce Demands: You may subconsciously feel like there are too many demands being placed on you. When this happens, the subconscious kicks in and you believe that if you accomplish something, then more demands will be made on your time so you put things off.
If you recognize some of these traits then you will understand some of the reasons you procrastinate. You may feel that a project is too difficult when in reality it is not that bad. This is your subconscious driving your thought processes, which stem from your past. You may also fear failing at the task you need to accomplish so it is difficult to get started. Perhaps you are afraid of making mistakes so you decide to do something else to take your mind off the fact you are afraid.
All of these reasons and thought processes have roots in the traits of procrastination. The traits are created from events from your past that were beyond your control. Once you understand the key factors that drive procrastination, then you can learn how to avoid pitfalls and break some of the patterns that are keeping you from achieving your goals.
2How to Overcome Procrastination
The main thing you have to do is work toward changing your subconscious thought processes. This is not an easy task and will require time and patience. However, if you make up your mind that you are going to change your habits you will reach your goals.
- It Does Not Have to Be Perfect: Contrary to popular belief, many people who procrastinate are perfectionists underneath. Perfectionism breeds procrastination because you feel that everything has to be accomplished perfectly the first time around so you never get started. The thought that everything must be perfect is your biggest enemy toward achievement.
If this sounds like you, try complimenting yourself when you reach the first milestone of the project. When your thought process tells you it has to be perfect, challenge it. Instead, tell yourself that some of the most successful people in the world did not get it perfect the first time around. Instead they put themselves out there and then made adjustments along the way.
- It is Not Overwhelming: People who procrastinate tend to feel the project is too difficult and easily get frustrated and overwhelmed. When this happens they use these feelings as an excuse to put things off until they feel more confident about doing the task. The problem is this never happens and they continue to feel overwhelmed.
If you are feeling overwhelmed, try enlisting the help of someone who will support you and help you learn how to solve the problem. Break the task down into small segments that are easily achievable and have the person help you along the way. - You Can succeed: If you were raised in a negative home environment the word “success” may seem foreign to you. You may have been taught that success is out of your reach and only for other people. This makes achieving success a scary proposition when you become an adult because your thought processes have been conditioned to believe that you cannot achieve success. In your subconscious, you are telling yourself that you will be rejected if you achieve success just as you would be in the home environment where you grew up.
Being afraid of success causes procrastination and to overcome procrastination it is a matter of reversing your conditioned thought processes. Practice complimenting yourself every time you achieve a step toward your goal and learn to accept compliments from others. It is also important to realize that when you achieve success, other positive people will naturally gravitate toward you, which will help to provide support for changing your thought processes regarding success.
The next time you catch yourself procrastinating stop what you are doing and try to identify the reason you are having trouble getting started. See if you can write down some of your thoughts then challenge them and do just the opposite. Overcoming procrastination is simply a matter of defeating your thought processes that were instilled at an early age. If you can identify why you are procrastinating then you can change your patterns and begin the task.
