maandag 19 september 2011

Procrastination..

Of course the best way to start writing about procrastination was to put it off for a few weeks, so that’s what I did first ;-). When the procrastinating was done, I wrote quite a long and personal story about the main underlying problem behind my own procrastination, yet this was not the post I wanted to make, so I decided to rewrite that one some time in the future and start writing a new post about procrastination.

Now, what do I really want to write about procrastination?
I’ve been collecting tips and tricks, but I think a person can only comfortably apply one or two of those things at a time, so what I’ll do is choose the pointers that work best for me and give an explanation.


The first and foremost tip for me is to ask the question “Do I really want this?” I believe that when you truly want something, you will make it happen. A big part of choosing something, is choosing everything that comes with it. So for example for me choosing to study illustration at the pace set out for me, involves quite a bit of time to put in. This also means I’ll have less time to meet up with friends, and that I have to find a good way to manage my time so I won’t get in trouble. For me, realizing and accepting that these were also consequences of my choice, helped me to feel more at peace with them and with the choice itself.

I have to say that truly wanting something, is not always an easy task. It usually involves finding the thoughts/ ideas/ beliefs that conflict with what you think you want, and changing them. These conflicting ideas can be stored away somewhere on a dusty shelve in the back of your mind, sometimes even locked inside a closet, and it may take some time and work to figure out what they are. If you’re having a rough time with this, I suggest to find a therapy that suits you. I know someone who can advice you on that if you like.

For example: I noticed that my going to school (or actually going to any form of ‘obligation’) was blocked severely by my belief that going to school was a bad and unhappy experience. School and dread were linked in my mind. For me it took quite some self-reflection and help from a coach to figure out what this problem was, and to start changing this idea.

The next pointer that helpes me a lot is to set clear and achievable goals for yourself daily. I try to look at what I want to do that day in the morning after I wake up, or right before I start working on school. I set my goals by checking my agenda, seeing what needs to be done, and feeling what I would really like to do. You can estimate the amount of time each goal will take, to confirm you’re not making your day too busy. I personally try not to plan for more than 10 hours a day, this includes dance class or meeting up with friends, but this is not a rule of thumb: figure it out for yourself. :)

The last pointer for this post, is to be loving towards yourself. When you ended up procrastinating the entire day, or when you didn’t achieve all your goals, be gentle. Realize that this was just a ‘bad’ day and you’ll wake up tomorrow fresh and rejuvenated. One thing that really helps for me is to look at yourself as if you were another person. What if, for example, a friend of yours told you that they ended up procrastinating the entire day? How would you react? Would you judge them and hate them for failing, or would you be gentle and encourage them to feel good about themselves nonetheless? Try to see yourself as a friend and pick yourself up every now and then.

1 opmerking:

  1. Hey Marleen, good article. I think especially the last tip I'll try out - looking at it like from another one's perspective. Never thought of that. The "do I want this" is sometimes a tricky one - I like to do so many different things. I wish I could split myself up sometimes :)

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