We're talking about a situation here that affects most people in our society and has devastated many individuals future. We are talking about procrastination and how it affects our society in general. It is estimated that over 95% of people today are guilty of procrastination and over 20% of those individuals are guilty of habitual and chronic symptoms.
According to Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia: "Procrastination may result in stress, a sense of guilt and crisis, severe loss of personal productivity, as well as social disapproval for not meeting responsibilities or commitments. These feelings combined may promote further procrastination. While it is regarded as normal for people to procrastinate to some degree, it becomes a problem when it impedes normal functioning in ones life.
None of us want to admit that the procrastination in our situation is as serious as a psychological disorder; however, the end result of procrastination will always be the same. Procrastination has killed more good ideas and deals than anyone could possibly count. We all know that a choice has to be made and we keep putting it off just a little while longer. It may be something rather simple yet we all have that inner feeling that keeps telling us all the reasons why we should keep putting off that all important commitment to get the job done. As one author put it so eloquently "the worry is worse than the work", and yet we just can't draw ourselves to quite….get….started.
Procrastination appears to be just part of our human nature that we all possess. However, once that procrastination becomes a chronic situation in our lives, then the damage of not making a choice becomes a major factor in our lives. It will have a devastating effect on every aspect of our lives such as relationships, work challenges, finances and especially on our mental abilities to cope. Soon we will start doubting ourselves and this situation will escalate into more and more challenges in our lives that will occur as a result of our minds being trained to put it off till later.
Many times procrastination will evolve into destructive behavior. Drug addiction, alcohol dependency and gambling are some of the situations that many individuals procrastinate about. They are definitely concerned about this devastating situation, however, they won't make the choice right now to do anything about it. They all say "I'm going to do something about it tomorrow." Self destruction is the end result of many of these unfortunate situations.
There are many contributing factors that regulate any "putting it off" situation. Sometimes it's a chemical imbalance in the human genetics that triggers such behavior. Sometimes the cause for procrastination may be caused by anxiety, and there are some mixed opinions on this subject by the professionals. Sometimes it's just plan laziness which may be the true cause. Whatever the cause, each individual who is suffering from this problem must take back control of their lives before anything will ever change. Sometimes the only solution to resolve this situation is to seek help from a medical professional who is an expert in this type of problems. Sometimes the only solution is to turn to God our maker and trust in that higher power.
Some procrastinate simply because they consider themselves as perfectionist and if they can't do it right they will do nothing at all. I realize there may be some individuals that may legitimately fit into this scenario; however, many have used this excuse merely to do nothing. They procrastinate about doing something about their procrastination problems. Regardless of how much help your loved ones or those around you try to help in this dilemma the end result is totally up to that individual who is procrastinating to resolve a bad situation.
This brings us to the point of how procrastination affects us in our business lives. The same examples we've talked about above will definitely have an impact on our business lives and the success and failure of every business and is a direct result of a choice that was made at some time in the past. At that point and time a choice had to be made for the betterment of the business. Had the owner of the company had hesitated and procrastinated in making a choice, you can bet the outcome would have been totally different. On the other side of the coin some who procrastinated will never truly know how that choice that they postponed to a later time affected the outcome of their future and their families.
One of the main issues here is with defining procrastination in each of our lives. There are some things that we naturally must put off due to some extenuating circumstances. This is to be expected because each of us must face challenges as they develop and make choices based on the information at hand at the time the issues evolved. It is up to each of us to make an informed choice on everything we do. If each of us hasn't taken the time to research the alternatives to a particular problem, we have no one to blame for our failure but ourselves.
One of the most effective ways to help us make those all important choices is to set some perimeters on whatever the issue at hand may be. Prioritize what is important and what may have little significance on the outcome the immediate situation. This small step can become a major stepping stone to our successful outcome regarding any problem.
Distractions can be a major problem for many people who suffer with procrastination. With all the modern toys that we all have access to can really be a detriment to any kind of cure for the devastating problem of procrastination.
We have the options to play games on the computer, watch movies all day or go shopping, which are perfectly legal things to do, however, each of us must gain control of our destiny if we want to quit putting off today what we can do tomorrow. Statistics show that over 50% of all heart attack patients don't manage their lifestyle changes even though their Doctors gave them the choices of modifying their daily activities which could add years to their life. Procrastination is a killer not only to our personal experiences but to our businesses as well.
The solution to overcoming the problems associated with procrastination is to understand and define that there is indeed a problem. Make a detailed schedule of what is important for you and needs to be done right now. Don't put it off till tomorrow or next week, do it right now. Make a concerted effort to follow that schedule and fulfill each and every detail as soon as possible. Mark each chore off your list as soon as it's completed and go to the next item on your list. Suddenly you will find that each and every item you put on your schedule has been accomplished long before you thought it was possible. Then repeat the process again the first thing in the morning. Set down and make your list and do it all over again. By doing this on a regular basis you are changing a pattern that you've been used to and developing a new habit of getting the job done. Now you're getting over the procrastination that we've been talking about in the article. Congratulations!
If you need help in this ongoing challenge, then contact the eBiz Solutions Team for help. Call today for your free 30 minute "no obligation" consultation.
"Let's Build Your Business Together"
Larry L Miller SEM/SEO Consulting
Private Line: 321-594-405
Skype: larrylmiller121
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