Stress and procrastination. What's the connection? If we could figure it out, then we'd have one more way to improve your health. Let's go for it!
When you procrastinate, you end up with a life filled with half-done and un-done tasks. Looking around, you see mountains of paper waiting to be sorted, home improvement projects to be finished, laundry to be folded, grass to be mowed, bills to be paid, and so on. Speaking of bills, you likely pay them late, leading to extra fees. You don't get around to exercising. You put off doctor appointments. And on it goes.
Furthermore, you probably feel guilty about the whole mess!
It's a recipe for stress, wouldn't you say?
Well, how about we look at one (just one) key factor that -- if you could impact it -- would offer a great opportunity for getting a handle on your procrastination? Are you in?
One factor ties up the chronic procrastinator's unconscious scheme in a nutshell. It's the relationship between intention and action.
People who typically procrastinate intend to work just as much as anyone else. They intend to pay their bills on time, get to the gym, eat healthy, make that doctor's appointment, put money in their retirement account, and finish the household chores. Student procrastinators intend to do their homework and get their papers in on time. Honest!
They just don't do it.
In other words, there's a lapse between intention and action. Let's take a quick look at both.
"Intend" means "to set the mind on." Even a hard-core procrastinator, in his own mind, can imagine the event taking place. It's kind of like planning a garden. You sit inside in your nice armchair one January afternoon -- leafing through the seed catalogs. You think about how nice your yard will look with those beautiful flowers. You can practically taste the freshness of veggies straight from the garden. Your intention is solid.
Intention is a vital piece of planning any project. It enables you to set a clear course toward the goal you have in mind, and gives you a framework for knowing when your desires have been realized. (Leading to satisfaction and happiness, presumably what you're really after.)
But if things stop there, you're sunk. Looking at the seed catalog is a great start. But to taste the fruit off the vine, more is required. It's action.
This is the piece that so often trips people up. Somehow, because we do focus on the importance of maintaining a positive expectation, people come to think that expectation is enough.
Let me say this loud and clear. "NO!"
The second piece of the accomplishment puzzle you'll need to come to terms with as a recovering procrastinator is action. You have to do stuff! Not just any stuff, either. Stuff that can reasonably be expected to produce the goal you have in mind.
Furthermore, you'll encounter obstacles, distractions, and great new ideas. And somehow you'll have to stay focused enough on your main objective to overcome the obstacles, dismiss the distractions, and selectively screen those great new ideas.
It may sound like a challenge. And it can be. However it can also be a lot of fun! Have you ever accomplished something so tough -- so out of reach -- that you never in a million years thought you'd be able to pull it off? Like graduating from college, getting a black belt in karate, losing 60 pounds, or running your first mile since grade school...
Remember that sense of elation? That's the feeling you want to have again and again. And you will. Once you get past that little problem with procrastination.
And speaking of that, here are two ideas you might be interested in:
1. The definitive research article on procrastination, authored by Dr. Piers Steel, and published just this month in the journal Psychological Bulletin. Read my summary here: procrastination research report.
2. Monday, January 15th, is the very first day of our next "Run With The Pack" cycle for healthy living projects. You can still get in! You'll follow the "7 Simple Steps" healthy living manual, creating a customized plan to realize the intention of your choice. Complete with action steps! And up-to-the-minute forum support for any bobbles or questions you might have throughout the 3-month process.
We won't promise to make a complete non-procrastinator out of you. But if you're willing to follow through, you will have an excellent opportunity to identify your personal procrastination style and create a custom work-around. And that's a promise!
Check out "Run With The Pack."
Elizabeth Eckert can help you explore how simple everyday choices create health — or undermine even the best of intentions. With a background that ranges from energy medicine to structural bodywork to developmental psychology, this "Stick-To-It Coach" has the experience to support you in creating the healthiest possible expression of — you!
Take our free Less Stress; More Time mini-course!
