Have you ever found yourself consistently falling behind on your goals and feeling as if you're not living up to your potential?
If so, a major obstacle that may be standing in the way of success is procrastination. Avoiding procrastination is the first step towards achieving objectives and regaining control over time by recognising the patterns and habits that lead to it.
Life coach, counsellor and divine healer Rosie Motene said procrastination is rarely about laziness. Often it signals deeper emotional blocks that deserve attention. It is a signal, not a failing.
Delaying tasks or avoiding action is not likely due to laziness or lack of discipline. Instead, it’s your mind and body signalling something deeper is going on, an underlying fear, self-doubt, overwhelming or unresolved trauma making it difficult to start or complete the work.
“When life's complexities become overwhelming, small things such as tasks may seem too big or the 'to-do' list too long, resulting in a brain freeze that leads to procrastination,” she said.
Motene reveals underlying issues such as exhaustion and burnout play a significant role in procrastination. Feeling physically or mentally drained can make starting or completing a task feel impossible because you are too overwhelmed by life's demands that you end up pushing things aside to survive the immediate stress.
Additionally, fear of failure and impostor syndrome have affected many individuals, especially when it comes to self-doubt.
“It is a natural emotion that people shouldn't allow to control them. It makes simple tasks seem hard, causing individuals to put off tasks due to the fear of not meeting their own or other people's expectations. However, by acknowledging these feelings and seeking support, procrastination can shift from being a source of frustration to a doorway for growth.”
A University of the Witwatersrand study outlined the A-B-C-D-E method to prioritise tasks, helping you focus on what's important and manage your time more effectively:
- “A” stands for “very important”. This is something you need to do. Failing to take action can have severe and detrimental consequences, such as setting yourself up for failure by not doing due diligence.
- “B” stands for “important”. This is a task you should do, but not crucial. It's less important than your top priorities and if you don't get it done the consequences will be relatively minor.
- “C” stands for things that are “nice to do”, but which are not as important as “A” or “B” tasks. There are no negative consequences for not completing them.
- “D” stands for “delegate”. This task can be taken up by someone else, freeing you to focus on more important responsibilities.
- “E” stands for “eliminate, whenever possible”. This is where you get rid of as many non-essential tasks as possible to clear up more time for what matters.
