Are You a Chronic Procrastinator?

Are you disorganized? Are your home and finances in disarray? Are you surrounded by clutter and chaos? Do you always think a project will take a lot less or a lot more time than it actually does? Are you frequently late for work or appointments?

Are you disappointed in yourself; you just can't seem to keep up with things? Do you feel guilty because you disappoint your family and friends on a regular basis? Do you have multiple unfinished projects?

If you answered "yes" to many of these questions then you may be a chronic or compulsive procrastinator.

There are many causes of procrastination. Many believe it is the result of perfectionism. That is, "If you can't do it right the first time, don't do it all" has become an ingrained attitude. We never see how much we can accomplish in just ten or fifteen minutes, thinking a job will take hours or days, so we never even start. Then things pile up we are overwhelmed and don't know where to start. This happens despite the fact that doing a little bit at a time, even if not perfect, could relieve some of our stress..

Some procrastination is probably a result of just not liking or wanting to do the job that needs to be done. I mean few people in the world really enjoy scrubbing the tub and toilet, yet those things should be done on a regular basis. Sometimes our procrastination comes from resentment. "Why do I have to do this? He / she said they were going to do it!" Some procrastination stems from deeper emotional issues, many of which we are not consciously aware of.

Rarely is chronic procrastination related to time management, to just being lazy or to being stupid, though many procrastinators use these as excuses. Another commonly heard excuse is "I just don't have time for everything!" Yet we all have the same 24 hours in a day to work with. It's just that some of us have learned how to get the most out of our days. Some ways you can do this is to break things down into smaller projects and work incrementally on things. Sure the whole job might take eight hours, but if you just work on it 30 minutes a day, it will still take eight hours, but has a bigger chance of being finished than if you wait for an eight hour block of uninterrupted time.

No matter what type of procrastinator you are, chronic, compulsive or just occasional, there is help and support available to you. But it does require commitment, dedication and work on your part to erase procrastination from your life.

I have found some of the following resources most helpful.

www.procrastinators-anonymous.org An online organization with forums, chat room and essays to help you.

www.flylady.net A free site to help you organize all aspects of your life. I especially recommend their programs and forums on Blog Talk Radio,www.blogtalkradio.com

"The Tomorrow Trap, Unlocking the Secrets of the Procrastination-Protection Syndrome" by Karen E. Peterson, PhD, Published by Health Communications, Inc. Deerfield Beach, FL. Copyright 1996 by the author. This book was especially helpful to me in realizing why I procrastinate and in conjunction with the websites mentioned above has helped me get my life on track.