It’s February Already! Suffering from procrastination? Are we still playing hide-and-seek with our old pal Procrastination? It’s a common struggle, one I definitely know all too well! It just seems like both time & days passes faster now, compared to childhood. As I reflect on what caused (and possibly you too) astray from my confidently chosen January goals to derail, and metaphorical in need of a serious “Wheel Alignment” so that they can be edited for accomplishment by the end of 2024. Oh yeah, it probably was that little bug called Procrastination which affects people from all walks of life. But I ask myself, why does this happen?

Could it be that we set our goals too high to obtain in an impossibly short timeframe? Let’s be real, you can’t promise to paint a mural on a skyscraper when you’ve only picked up a paintbrush at a tipsy friend’s party in 2023.

But seriously, the most common causes of procrastination people deal with sometimes is feeling overwhelmed, lack of motivation, poor time management, obsessing over perfection, and fearing failure. Lets briefly visit some ways to avoid these nasty villains!

Procrastination, Feeling overwhelmed! Feeling like your to-do list is a mile long? Take a deep breath! Picture yourself in the future and ask, “What do I want to achieve?” Once you’ve got a handle on the big picture, break it down into smaller, more achievable goals to avoid anxiety and feeling overwhelmed. This way, you will dodge anxiety and feeling like it’s all too much. At first, shooting for a daily blog was overwhelming and I missed the mark. I scaled back to once a week and now settling on once a month turned out to be the sweet pot for sanity and success! It’s okay to reelevate and adjust goals that you can totally conquer! Taking baby steps are far easier than running a marathon without conditioning the body.

No motivation! Most are face with this common challenge when it comes to procrastination, at some point in life. Create a routine of making a list daily, It’s like a personal GPS guiding to maintain consistency with tasks. Having a structured schedule can provide a sense of purpose and keep you motivated to accomplish tasks. Establish a small reward system for small achievements. While traveling along this journey, remind yourself of past accomplishments. I know my reminder to self “ is God has not brought me this far to leave me”. Therefore, If I run into road blocks, which sometimes happen, I revamp and keep the faith in knowing God never fails.

Lack time management! Time management can be a major obstacle causing procrastination.

Guilty as charged… My daughter, Jazzalynn frequently tells me this all the time but I insist that I am capable to multi-task. On the real tip, I must admit, I fall short at multitasking almost every single time. While multi-tasking might seem like a speedy way to accomplish your goals but it decreases in productivity and quality work. Try using calendars, and set alarms while working. I have found these tools helpful as in keeping my daily schedule on target with my set goals. I know, I fall short somedays, but perseverance, thinking positive things repeatedly start becoming second nature!

Obsessing with perfection! Perfection does not exist. This is unobtainable goal as a human being, even robots fail, when the programmer made an error during coding. Aiming for perfection can lead to frustration and disappointment when you realize sometimes imperfections exist in yourself and in others. If we acknowledge our imperfections, this can lead to strengthening us both personal and professional in life. It’s important to embrace imperfections and value each on of our individual uniqueness. Instead of aiming for perfection, focusing on progress, growth, and learning can be more fulfilling and rewarding to us all.

Fearing Failure! The fear of failure can lead to procrastination as we compare ourselves to others and their accomplishments, but not really knowing their struggles. One of my favorite song is “Life & Favor (You Don’t Know My Story)” by John P. Kee https://youtu.be/LR2h0T_aIPA?si=czRW5lX1fIum6smE

the lyrics states exactly this message, that each person faced their own battles or trails in life that were uniquely theirs. My pastor periodically states that the brilliance of a diamond came from being under pressure. Embrace your pressure and trust your time will come. Reaffirm your greatness during entrepreneurial challenges by speaking positive words to overcome feelings of defeat and navigate through times. Especially, during off season. Look at your pass accomplishments to continue believing in your ability.

Overall, procrastination can be a complex issue that requires a deeper understanding of the underlying causes to our struggles to stay on target to achieve our goals. But utilizing theses identified tools we both can break the foundation of procrastination, we as individuals can overcome obstacles and attain success. Repeat positive reinforcements mentally, have faith in yourself, to set small obtainable goals to make progress. Remember the words from Matthew 19:26 states “..with God all things are possible.”

We shall work hard at overcoming Procrastination.. Links below to help possible assist with procrastination.