Are You Procrastinating Fun?

A lot of my clients suffer from severe procrastination. It then tumbles into self judgment, and a weight begins to build. I, myself, am a recovering Master Procrastinator, and will occasionally slip back into old patterns. I know how seductive of a trap it can be; yet the longer we wait, the heavier the burden, and the tougher it is to move forward.

Why do we Procrastinate?

Procrastination itself is a symptom, not a cause, so why do so many of us do it?

First of all, we live in a really busy world where more and more is being asked of us every moment and the to-do list never ends no matter how many items we cross off. We juggle families, careers or businesses, friendships, our home, and hope to throw in some self care and perhaps some fun. Add to that our desire to do good in the world and it is easy to get into overwhelm. Overwhelm is a ripe, fertile place for procrastination to grow. Too often we can get in a cycle of putting everything off until the last minute (or later). After a while, the feeling of pressure we constantly carry around begins to feel normal, however uncomfortable it remains. That’s a scary thought!

But what about the other items that don’t even make it to our list? What about that painting we were going to paint or that job we were going to quit or that book we were going to write or that skill we were going to learn? What about that trip we wanted to take or that restaurant we always wanted to try or that author we’ve talked about writing? We may procrastinate doing the dishes, but it isn’t as though we never do them (I hope!). So why do we fail to complete those acts and desires that come from the deepest places of our soul?

The Root

Every tree has roots. Even if you can’t see them you know they’re there, because the tree exists. This is also true of our behaviors. Since 95% of our thoughts are unconscious, when we’re doing personal development work, we must look at our patterns of behavior in order to discover our patterns of thought.

Procrastinating – especially putting off those acts that would benefit you, your community, and the world at large – is a sign that somewhere in your consciousness is a belief about you that is false.

Procrastination is the symptom, and the cause is not believing that you are worthy enough to have whatever it is you’re after. This false belief, if left unaddressed, will continue to manifest as procrastination. Also, since you are a walking magnet, the Law of Attraction works to bring you more evidence of your supposed unworthiness.

The Truth

The Truth is, you’re already amazing. The Truth is, you already have whatever it takes to do what you need to do and  what you want to do. The Truth is, every moment you have the chance to choose anew, and create the life you want. The Truth is, you’re a unique expression of the Divine and your heart’s desire is the Divine’s desire!

Yet, the Truth can be easily forgotten, especially if you’re still chewing on that to-do list (that probably doesn’t include making time for painting – yet). That is where Coaching can be tremendously powerful. If you have been putting off those items on your list that you know will make your heart sing for too long, it is time to uncover what thoughts are keeping you there.