The Slippery Slope of Procrastination

Have you ever found yourself procrastinating dealing with something that is causing you stress or angst? I found myself today putting off starting a difficult job – I cleaned up, I played computer games, I sent emails to friends, I made snacks and essentially I frittered away a good portion of the day that could have been put to much more productive use… all because I was scared to wade into something I had never done before. And so here I sit at 10:15pm doing work that has to be done but could have been done much earlier today – and beating myself up for it too!!

So why do we procrastinate? The old axiom “Don’t put off until tomorrow what you can do today” that was preached by our parents and grandparents still rattles through my brain – I have been hearing it all my life. But I still procrastinate. I have often thought about the implications of procrastination – where does it come from? why is it so prevalent? what contributes to it? and what is the cost on a personal level, a business level and a societal level?

What procrastination really comes down to is accountability for results. I contribute to my success or failure by what I choose to do (or not do) not just in the bigger picture but hour by hour, minute by minute. Whenever I am not focused and aligned with my goals, then I will not be moving forward and so I actively contribute to maintaining the status quo in my world. The movie ‘The Secret’ talks about The Law of Attraction and how we co-create our own reality. While it makes a lot of sense, it is a scary reality for many of us. It is so much easier to blame our failures on external circumstances, other people – anywhere but where the problem belongs → squarely on our own shoulders. That is not to say that we have total control over everything that happens to us. We don’t, but we do have total control over how we choose to react in any given situation. The prisoners in concentration camps could not choose to just walk away – they did not have control over whether they stayed or went. But they did have control over how they chose to respond – and they started schools and orchestras. We may be dealing with problems that are much less severe than incarceration in a concentration camp but we still have the power to choose.

Jack Canfield, Mark Victor Hansen and Les Hewitt talk about the power of our habits in their book “The Power of Focus” and how those habitual patterns we have developed can impede our ability to achieve the results we want and get in the way of our success. Assessing our habits is not something that we do objectively on a regular basis – but there is great power in being aware and knowing when and how we get in our own way. Their process of assessment, awareness and understanding of our habits is enlightening to say the least. And their strategies for changing those patterns that are getting in our way can help us to get back on track. We have the power to change. We have the power to succeed. We only need to draw the line in the sand and say “Enough already – this is not working” and then decide. There is immense power in decision and we have untold potential to make things happen when we take that control into our own hands and use it constructively to keep ourselves in the game.

The Conflict Resolution Workout:
Success in any endeavour is typically not the result of luck, coincidence or fate, it is the result of a combination of small efforts that work together to change the current situation and create the success we want. Take a few minutes and analyze your situation:
1. What habits are holding you back?
2. What baggage is dragging you down?
3. Are you terrified? (I believe that we do our best work when we are scared stiff!!)
4. What are you doing right this minute to keep yourself in the game?
5. What small efforts / changes can you make that will bring your energy to a more positive and productive level?

Ruth Sirman is a professional mediator and trainer who teaches the same skills she has used since 1996 to help groups resolve conflicts in government, corporations, communities, churches and schools. For more information, check out her website at www.canmediate.com.