Procrastinate Your Way to Success!
Photo credit: jonrawlinson / Foter.com / CC BY
The Hidden Success of Procrastinating
The ironic title was meant to get your attention and I am sure at this point, it has succeeded. Actually, I was lucky to beat the deadline for this post. Or did I just go through what every successful procrastinator endures to become triumphant at the end?
To put everyone on the same page, procrastination is basically putting off a task until you reach a point in time when there is no other choice but to do it. As the times have changed, there are more and more things that grab your attention and destroy your focus on the issues and things that beg for your complete and undivided attention.
However, understanding and acknowledging procrastination would actually help people defeat it. Unknown to a lot of people, procrastination has two types. Active procrastination means you are a hundred percent aware that you are delaying what needs to be done, while Passive procrastination is just lying in bed and doing nothing.
Now that I have clarified what procrastination really is, let me get to the details that might change your outlook and attitude towards this supposedly big problem that you have.
Procrastination is a Skill
Undeniably a human state of mind, delaying one's action is pretty much a universal reaction and was made a “problem” by people who seem to manage their time more wisely. What a lot of people fail to notice is that time is relative and speed does not really equate to efficiency all the time. On the surface, more time means more things can be done. But should we always be after efficiency over quality?
And this is where it all begins. When can I procrastinate and when can't I do it. The skill of figuring this out takes a lot of experiences and self reflections to figure out how you respond to the tasks that you are required to accomplish inside and outside of work and ultimately how long you can delay them. Aside from analyzing these things about yourself, you also give yourself time to practice and perfect skill, which can only be possible if you take the time to do it. Such a practice would eventually increase your speed in doing that activity, thus making you more efficient in the end.
Photo credit: Paul David (busy running!) / Foter.com / CC BY-NDPrioritize and Procrastinate
When you delay something, the problem is how to get back into the grove of things. I have planned so many great and important things in my life, but I have never succeeded in finishing them because I tend to think that there is still a lot of time to do it. What happens is everything piles up and ends up as a priority. To sort through all of this and get to the core of what really matters and needs your attention, go for the areas in your life that directly affect it.
For example, I would tend to watch my favorite T.V. series instead of meeting-up with other friends. This is fine. There is hardly any or no consequence to this. But if let's say your mom needs medical attention and you need money for it, the priority bell should be wrung for this one. So to prevent you from clogging your mind and emotions any further, prioritize your income generating career, your personal and interpersonal relationships, your financial stability and good health.
Photo credit: CamEvans / Foter.com / CC BY-NDTime is certainly of the essence
What is initially perceived as the immediate loss from procrastination is actually what you need to create for yourself. People pretty much complain about not having the time that is needed to accomplish all their tasks. But it reality, when you closely go through their daily itineraries, you would discover that there was indeed enough time to finish everything, which is actually the good news.
We can create time, if we invest in the right things to create them for.
Downtime is the Best Time
As we try to decide on the things to act upon, an inordinate amount of time is freed for other use and one of the best things to use this for is the chance to improve yourself as far as deciding on things are concerned. Focus on how your mind works and give it everything you have got. With enough practice and the additional knowledge that you get out of it, you would be ready for the bigger challenges that you need to achieve for yourself.
Photo Credit: www.quotesberry.comPassion Equals Life
Bringing out the energy that is never used for most mundane activities, passion gives you the extra push to not only start with the accomplishment of your life goals, but also the desire to finish them with flying colors.
NLP dictates, you are not a bad person when you neglect the gazillion things that are hanging in front of you. You are not evil for not being able to rise and move to the beat of your deadlines. You are just being human. The main idea of NPL explains to us that the brain shall only select the feeling that is available at the moment. Simple as it sounds, this justifies why soldiers are willing to face their enemies instead of just doing nothing. The feeling of satisfaction simply overrules all others, hence making it the only choice at that precise moment.
To program the brain to become more productive, with your goals as your objectives, there are several tips that you can follow to achieve this.
First is to think that you always have a choice in any situation at any moment. That at any moment in time, you can will your body to go with your choice.
Next is to award that you do have a choice. For a lot of people, they feel they are trapped and there is nowhere to go. The awareness of having a choice changes your entire perception of the situation at hand. With the awareness comes options and it is only you who can actually say which options are the most beneficial to your goals.
And finally, acknowledge the fact that you have selected what you want and celebrate it.
These moments validate our struggles and our triumphs over our procrastination without going against your human nature. May this inspire you to dream further and conquer more.
Convinced that procrastination can be a way to success? Join me in one of my Jacky Lim Fast-Track NLP Course to learn how procrastination can lead your way to success and more unconventional NLP success techniques. Simply fill-out my inquiry form or call us today to book a seat reserved just for you!