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Saturday, January 30, 2010

PROCRASTINATION AND ITS COMMON JUSTIFICATIONS


Hi! everyone.

I hope that my articles are serving you well and putting you in a better position to grow further.

In my previous article we have learned how Procrastination is a silent killer and ways to beat it.

Today's article, I am going to discuss in detail the common justifications for procrastination, which you should be aware of:-

1. I do it tomorrow

Some of you may have heard or used such an excuse for delaying the matter till tomorrow.  Tomorrow never ends because there is always tomorrow so long as we still stay alive. We can continue to postpone our action and use other reasons for to justify the delay. After all, waiting for just one more day won't upset too many people. I guess some of you are so familiar with this because this is the most frequently used justification for procrastination. To me, everyday brings a new batch of opportunities and things to do. If I were bogged down by uncompleted yesterday's tasks, how can I take myself in the running for today's prize.

2. I wait because I can't do it perfectly.

The person who has such an attitude has denied the reality that none of us will ever do anything perfectly. From my personal experience, I learned after I have began with it . Many times, when I start doing something new, I discover they are not as difficult as they initially appear. So, if you want to wait until a time where everything is perfect, then such a time will never arrive. Therefore, it is more sensible that we start doing and improving at the same time.

3. I wait because I don't have everything I need.

This statement also sounds familiar with some of you. The list of thing we don't have can be go on forever such as marketing brochure, new pricing lists and no written procedures. I believe that there is always something we can always begin with, regardless whether the list of things we need is complete or not. All we have to do is to be honest with it and look for what we can begin with.

4. I wait because someone else can do it better than me.

This excuse indicate lack of confidence. No doubt that there is always someone else who can do it better than you. But it is equally true that many of the best ones presently were not the best in the past or at the time they began with. They became the best because they tried and persistently improved on it.

Some people believe procrastination  is rooted in the fear of failure. Whereas, some, especially psychologists believe all procrastination is rooted in the fear of success. Many people do not want to look bad and are afraid to expose themselves to failures. Procrastination is a tool used by many people to shield themselves from failure, which they falsely believed in. But the real truth is that procrastination will guarantee failure.

5. I don't have time right now.

This is also another convenient way to justify your action. You may have experienced lots of things done not because of the right time, but rather when you take one step further. By accumulating and adding up the tasks your work remains incomplete. The crucial point is that having such a short amount of time is not a valid reason for permitting us not to do anything. We do not have to do it later if we can do it now. The result is that we will accomplish the project quicker and will not turn out to be a victim of procrastination. If we can do what we can when we can, the results will then speak for themselves.

Many of us may have encountered situations whare we failed to take action on things that offer good opportunities for us. We may have used the above excuses that caused us to miss these opportunities to achieve and grow. When you have the opportunity to do it, you need to do it and don't let someone else seize the opportunity. Be bold and take up the courage to take up the task. 

 Hope this article will give you the light and wish you success,

James Oh