How to Start Turning Things Around

We all have done the “I’ll get to it” dance and the song continues to play while we continue the dance. Whether you’ve put off the start of your health and fitness regimen or your continual delay of starting your new book, everyone is familiar with procrastination. The reasons why we procrastinate can vary greatly, and for many of us, we might not be able to quite put our finger on what’s causing us to step back and hesitate in moving forward in life.

Regardless of the reasons you have for procrastinating, one thing is for sure—it rarely gets us to where we want to go.

[bctt tweet=”Procrastination delays your ability to reach greater levels of satisfaction and the sense of accomplishment.” ” username=””]

We all have goals, visions, and dreams for how we would like our life to look, and sometimes even the simplest events are the most important stepping stones to reaching these aspirations. If you think of it in that perspective, it’s easy to see why procrastination can be a dangerous thing. Not only will you continue to feel stuck, but you also won’t be able to move forward and make progress. What you will do is encounter these three other dangers in putting off important tasks:

Your Self-Confidence Takes a Nosedive
Procrastination is part of a vicious cycle of putting off what you need to do because of insecurity, then feeling even less confident when you end up not getting the task accomplished. Past failures or the fear of failure can often cause a person to put things off or don’t even try. Rejection is another experience that leaves a nasty sting and can leave you to feel worthless, alienated and fearful of opening up to anyone again. We can help to break this never-ending circle by focusing on self-care. Take active participation in activities that make you feel personally fulfilled, and you will find the inner motivation you’re searching for to take a step towards reaching your goals.

Your Career Takes a Hit
Being successful in your career means going above and beyond to accomplish your work in a timely matter, which is hard to do if you are a notorious procrastinator. As qualified as you may be, falling behind on tasks reflects poorly on the job and can prevent you from getting that next big promotion. If you are self-employed, then it will bleed into your work too. Your performance as a whole suffers. It will become noticeable to your clients, peers and colleagues and how you come across in general. Start changing this reality by breaking your work down into small, manageable tasks instead of looking at the big picture and getting overwhelmed. For many, having a detailed to-do list can greatly help with this process! Here is a bonus suggestion, Say No! Don’t over commit!

Relationships Will Suffer
Work isn’t the only thing that starts falling behind when you procrastinate. Your personal relationships can also begin to fall through the cracks! Missed lunch dates, forgotten birthdays, and putting off return phone calls or even returning a text message nowadays can all give the impression that you aren’t interested in the relationship in any fashion—even if you are! Take a methodical approach to getting a handle on this level of procrastination by setting alerts on your phone and scheduling specific time into your weekly schedule to connect with those you care about and love. This method may seem too orchestrated, but if your lifestyle demands it (like mine does), it will save you from the potential future drama in the long run. However, there will be times when your schedule is tallied up, and you discover that you don’t have any extra time. Creativity and finesse will be your best friends in these instances, and where streamlining to MAKE time for those you care about becomes the ultra-priority, even if that means changing things drastically around in your schedule.

Procrastination comes in many different forms, and we all have our reasons for falling behind on things that we know need to get done. Whether simple disorganization is causing trouble in your life or you are simply overwhelmed by stress, anxiety, or lack of self-confidence, getting into a better place all begins with a single step of committing to changing your life. Being accountable on all levels in your life is what I am saying. It’s not productive or will it be effective if you exercise it only in the boardroom, classroom, office and in front of the cameras. It’s a requirement we all should strive for at all times even when no one is looking.