I put off some chores because I was excited about writing this blog post. That may seem like a bad idea, but if you understand the effects of procrastination, you may think differently.
Let me explain and tell you why I love procrastination.
Weed Eating
So, Burb and I had some chores to do today.
If you don’t remember, Burb and I (Lan), were merged in a cloning accident. Some say two heads are better than one, but when one of those heads is green and can only Brains! Brains! – exactly, Burb… occasionally interject only one phrase, it can be annoying.
Anyway, we had some weed eating to do. Burb likes to occasionally eat weeds and if he doesn’t get to he can get a bit Brains! Brains! annoying.
I do have to say, as frustrating as Burb can be, his interjections do typically seem to be on point.
Trimming Hedges
So we had the weed eating to do and Hedge trimming. I know what you might be wondering, but it’s exactly what you might be thinking: we needed to give our friend Hedge a trim. Ever since he was reanimated his hair just won’t stop growing.
If you’re wondering about the effects of procrastination, let me tell you the immediate effects – Burb will get Brains! Brains! cranky, and pretty soon, Hedge won’t be able to see. But these aren’t tasks I’m procrastinating on. These are tasks that I’ve temporarily set aside to write this. The tasks I’m avoiding is why I love procrastination.
The Joy of Procrastination
Most people hate procrastination. I get it. I mean there are tasks that when you don’t do them, they make things really Brains! Brains! messy. But procrastination serves a purpose. It tells us we’re trying to do something we shouldn’t be doing.
Don’t get me wrong. If you’re procrastinating paying your bills, you need to take care of that. If you don’t, you’ll discover the effects of procrastination very quickly.
In some cases it may be that you are doing something that shouldn’t be taking your attention. For instance, you have 50 personal projects and you keep procrastinating on project 51, that’s probably your Brains! Brains! telling you you’re doing too much.
Or if you pick up a new hobby and you keep procrastinating on the tasks, your brain is probably telling you you’re really not in it.
So how do you know what procrastination is telling you and if it’s good? It’s all in looking at the effects of procrastination.
Understanding Procrastination
When people procrastinate they often feel unmotivated and wonder if they’re just lazy. In actuality, people typically procrastinate for three reasons:
- It’s too much
- You’re afraid.
- It’s not interesting, or something else is more interesting.
If it feels like something is too much, that should tell you you’re overworked. You need to figure out what you can do to lessen your workload or find more downtime.
Sometimes we procrastinate because we’re paralyzed by fear. We are afraid of doing a bad job or afraid of what people will say. It’s not that we don’t want to do it; it’s just that we want to do a great job and are afraid we won’t. If you’re paralyzed by fear, try this simple strategy.
If it feels like something isn’t interesting, ask yourself why? Is it something you have to do? Then find a more interesting way to do it. Can you make it a game? Can you focus on doing less at a time? Can you take a different approach?
Finally, if something else has your attention, ask why. Is this something you need to do? If so, how do you make it more interesting than what you want to do? Can you do this for a certain amount of time and do the more interesting thing as a reward?
Overcoming Procrastination
Overcoming procrastination starts with understanding procrastination. Here are three simple steps to understanding the effects of procrastination.
- Embrace It: Procrastination is telling you something is wrong; listen.
- Decipher It: Determine why you’re procrastinating.
- Adjust: Change what you’re doing or how you are approaching your tasks to enjoy them.
Sure, procrastination may seem scary, but it’s actually your mind trying to help you. Pay attention to that Brains! Brains! voice in your head. It may just be letting you know that there’s a better way to move forward.
