Defeating Procrastination by Andria S. Hudson

 

Have you ever felt like the smallest tasks in your life can become the most overwhelming? Laundry that was supposed to be finished on a Friday has now piled up two weeks later and you have no energy to tackle it. A simple phone call to pay a bill has been delayed and you’re now dreading picking up the phone to complete it. You have a daily “task reminder” that you look at in your phone or on your refrigerator but you can’t seem to be honest with your intentions in confronting and completing these tasks. “What in the world is going on with me?”, you say out loud to yourself.

Let’s not talk about your “big” visions and dreams that you have written in your journal, posted on your vision board, and prayed about in your meditation time that you can’t seem to focus and grapple. Year after year you say “this is the year I’m going to finish this book” or “this is the year I will retain new clientele.” Yet something is standing in between you and the manifestation of your goals. Is it laziness, forgetfulness, or something deeper?

I came to the realization some time ago that I have an issue with procrastination. On the external, it would appear that I am a goal crusher. “There is no way you procrastinate with all of the accomplishments you’ve made in your life,” someone said to me recently. Yet, this is not entirely true. Although I am extremely grateful for the grace that has been afforded to me to accomplish some amazing goals and dreams,  I have more in me and around me that is unwritten and incomplete. Each week I say to myself, “you need to start that project” or “settle down and finish that script” and each week rolls into another new week and into another new week. Time is fleeting and it waits for no one. I have myself to blame for deadlines not being met and goals not being accomplished. 

Let’s be honest and call it what it is. Are you a procrastinator? Do you find yourself putting things off consistently and habitually? Do you find yourself working under pressure to meet a deadline because you delayed it? Whether it’s returning a text message, responding to an email, or developing a business plan, procrastination is a thief and a robber. It is the act of delaying or postponing something until a later time because you either don’t want to do it or you’re afraid to do it. My procrastination could be an act of fear? Absolutely. Most of our delays are rooted in fear- fear of failure, fear of rejection, fear of success, and so much more.

We’re intimidated by the outcome so we’ll avoid doing the task. We’ll actually become afraid of what we want to accomplish, so we won’t even try. We’ll get comfortable in our delays and indecisions and use them as our crutches.

So how do we rid procrastination or will this be a thorn in our flesh for the rest of our lives? What has helped me in confronting procrastination in my life and in my business, is first admitting that I am a procrastinator and that I have the ability to change if I really want to change. In fact, let’s make that an affirmation to declare to ourselves daily. “I have the ability to change!” Additionally, most tasks that we habitually postpone can actually be completed within 120 seconds. I recently did an interactive exercise for my webinar on defeating procrastination and I asked my students to complete a task in 120 seconds. Surprisingly enough many of them did just that. What task have you postponed this week that you can accomplish right now? Get up and do it! It’s not enough to just set goals and reminders. We’re all good at that but now we must be intentional. Defeating procrastination requires a mind shift; a mind that is willing to shift out of comfortable mediocrity and into excellence and extraordinary. 

Lastly, become accountable to someone. Accountability is key to any lifestyle change. Connect with an accountability partner that will not be afraid to challenge you and assist you in setting and reaching your goals regardless of their size or importance. 

Never forget that on the other side of your intentionality and your “yes”, is a new level of responsibility, peace, joy, and contentment that is waiting on your arrival. Could it be that your current frustration is a sign that you have some unfinished business and incomplete endeavors? There’s nothing like the feeling of accomplishment. It’s literally priceless! I’ll never forget when I finished writing my first book in 2013. When I emailed the final manuscript to my publishers, I lifted my hands, let out a huge sigh of relief, and was in tears because it was finally done! The dream had finally come to pass. It’s time for you to break old routines, experience new accomplishments, develop new habits, and enjoy a lifestyle of freedom on another level. Make 2021 the year that you will no longer delay or put off any task. Procrastination is the thief and the robber and you have the ability to overcome it and defeat it.

Learn more about Andria at www.andriashudson.com Twitter: Lady_Andria