Facing Procrastination: Is There a Cure?

While it would be ideal to claim that procrastination never affects us, the reality is that everyone struggles with it at times. Procrastination is not simply a matter of poor time management, since we all have the same twenty-four hours a day. Instead, overcoming procrastination requires us to focus on managing our choices, not our time.

Managing choices is a matter of character. It’s about honesty—saying what you will do—and integrity—doing what you say whether your promise is to someone else or to yourself. Many people find it easier to keep promises to others than to themselves, but both are equally important. If you find yourself procrastinating, it’s likely because you’re confusing “might do” or “maybe” with a true commitment. The root cause of procrastination is often a lack of commitment.

Every commitment you make, whether to other people or to yourself, is a promise. To break the cycle of procrastination, stop telling yourself, “Later, tomorrow, next week, after tax season, next quarter,” or whatever your personal delay phrase may be. Instead, start telling yourself, “I commit to doing the things I say I will do when I say I will do them.” The best time to begin is right now.

Sometimes people think procrastination is a time management problem; truth is you cannot manage time. You have 24 hours each day. To make the most of your days, and eliminate the stress of procrastination, think about managing your choices.

Managing choices is a Character Management issue. Character comes from saying what you will do (honesty) and doing what you say (integrity). This is true whether it is something you say to others or a gal or commitment you “say” to yourself.

Are you a person who keeps promises? Many people are better at keeping promises to others than to themselves; either way this leads to procrastination. If you are procrastinating, you are probably mistaking “might do” and “maybe” for commitment. A commitment problem underlies your procrastination.

Each commitment you make with others and each goal our scheduled activity you

Make yourself a promise. Stop saying to yourself, “later, tomorrow, next week, after tax season, next quarter (insert your procrastination term here!).” Start saying, “I commit to doing the things I say I will do when I say I will do them.”

The best time to start is RIGHT NOW!