Take a look at your to-do list.
Does it feel manageable, or do you have tasks piling up that you meant to get done weeks ago? If it’s the latter, then you may be in the habit of procrastinating.
Procrastination may not seem like the worst thing, “Hey I always get it done eventually!”, but it comes at a cost.
Why do I say that procrastination equals death? Because procrastination is the death of whatever it is you were going to accomplish before you started putting it off.
Keep Your Tank Filled
Think of it this way – You’re driving home from a long day out and your gas meter is on empty.
You think to yourself “It’s fine I’ll just fill it up tomorrow.” Eager to get home, you keep on driving, then all of a sudden – you know what happens next. You press down on the gas pedal and…nothing.
Putting off filling your car up very likely ruined your evening by making you have to call a tow truck, wait for the truck, get a ride home, and irritate any passengers in your car!
When you procrastinate it can turn a simple task into a giant inconvenience.
Not only does procrastination create inconveniences, it also drains your internal tank.
The Cost of Procrastination
Procrastination creates internal pressure. Whether or not you’re aware of the pressure that’s building, little by little, it adds up. That internal pressure is also known as stress.
Stress is draining. While it may seem like you don’t have the time or energy to do the task at hand, we often don’t realize how much energy it takes to be constantly putting something off.
This task will continue to be in the back of your mind, until you finally get it done, and then – relief. But at what cost?
In the time you’ve been procrastinating you may be experiencing anger, rage, and are getting easily triggered. Not only does this make you less productive overall, but it could also compromise your relationships whether they be romantic, friendships, or work relationships.
If you’re a chronic procrastinator, ask yourself these questions about a time you put something off:
- What emotional stress was created?
- What relationships got hurt?
- Who was affected by this procrastination?
- Who was inconvenienced by this procrastination?
Next time you’re about to put something off (again), instead of thinking about how you’re feeling in the moment, think about how you’re going to feel tomorrow after you finish what you need to accomplish.
Remember Tomorrow
Entrepreneur and author Jesse Itzler has a saying – “Remember Tomorrow”.
When you have something to get done, before you start procrastinating, say to yourself – remember tomorrow.
Remember how tomorrow feels when you procrastinate. You may feel anxious, avoidant, annoyed, or irritable. Now remember how tomorrow feels when you get things done. You’ll probably feel relieved, grateful, and like you have more space in the days ahead.
When procrastination creeps up, it often feels like you have an angel and a devil on your shoulder. One is telling you to get out of bed and start your day, the other is telling you to hit snooze – again and again.
Think of how many minutes add up when you’re constantly hitting snooze day after day. That’s a lot of time you could have used towards working towards your goals.
Sometimes it feels like you become the world’s best salesperson when you sell yourself on why you should procrastinate. There goes that devil voice again telling you to wait until tomorrow.
When you feel tempted to put a task off, listen to the voice that will get you closer to your destiny.
Each time you listen to that voice you build self confidence, create self esteem, and increase your overall happiness and wellbeing.
If the thing you’re procrastinating isn’t a simple, straightforward task, try breaking it up into smaller daily milestones that are achievable. Remember the acronym T.A.D., tiny actions daily. Each small action you take towards your dreams gets you that much closer to achieving them.
Death to Procrastination
You know how much procrastination holds you back, drains your energy, and keeps you from reaching your goals.
So instead of letting procrastination be the death of your self confidence and relationships, put procrastination to death. It’s time to bury that sucker, because it’s only holding you back.
Replace procrastination with decisiveness.
Next time you’re thinking of procrastinating, just say to yourself “remember tomorrow”.
Think of how you’ll feel when you see a task crossed off instead of a mounting list of to-do’s.
Think of how much more time you’ll have for the people and things you love, instead of always feeling heavy or like you’re scrambling to get things done.
Let’s bury procrastination, remember tomorrow, and get stuff done!
