PROCRASTINATION

The following excerpt is from the self help
psychology book, Be Your Own Therapist.

If you don't take action now but instead procrastinate, there is always a reason that is valid for you. Perhaps the action itself or the timing of the action is wrong for you, perhaps you need to grow before the action may be accomplished, or perhaps you just need to overcome inertia. Whatever the case, there is likely to be some fear that needs to be faced. If your inertia stems from fear, can you overcome your fear of this specific change by modifying your beliefs? Do you fear all changes?

Don't wait for some day in the future to start on your road to creativity and spontaniety. Now is the best time to start, while it is on your mind.

The best course when faced with procrastination is often to do the first step of the action anyway. If the first step goes well, inertia was probably the cause of your procrastination. If you try the first step and it goes badly, then procrastination is probably right for you now; and you will probably need to examine yourself further. Also, be on the lookout for self-deception concerning procrastination, because addictions (such as TV, food, smoking, etc.) are often used to deceive ourselves in these matters.

When faced with a multistage process such as a complete change in career or an attempt to start up a business, always keep yourself as current as possible with actions. If you know, for example, that one of your next steps is to find out what city permits you need for your new business, this small unfinished task will add to your current level of stress. Most people do not realize that a simple unfinished task such as gathering a piece of information can increase our stress levels.

Our intentions to read 100 books or do 25 projects around the house rob us of present day energy. Instead, turn such intentions in your mind into possibilities, as suggested in Appendix C.

If you intend action, your body feels the anticipation until you take the action or you change your intention. It is easiest to change these intentions into possibilities. You can review these possibilities every month, to select those to be attempted next month.

In a multistage change process that can take months or years, there will be times when no action is appropriate. At such times procrastination is not the issue, and it is important then not to be self-critical.

Next Excerpt  

More Excerpts This Chapter
   STAGES OF HEALING
   MAKING CHANGES IN SMALL STEPS (Stage IVa above)
   "IMPOSSIBLE" SUCCESSES
   PROCRASTINATION
   A PERSONAL EXAMPLE
   CHANGING OTHERS EFFECTIVELY
   A LOUSY WAY OF MAKING CHANGES = SELF CRITICISM

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