We can be very innovative in discovering excuses for putting off until tomorrow, next week, next month or even until new year’s eve what we could do today.
Procrastination is the avoidance of doing a task by postponing or delaying it.
It is acceptable to procrastinate once in a while -we are humans after all- but make it a habit and you have a safe bet that you settle for mediocrity.

It is very convenient to press the snooze button when our alarm goes off instead of getting up and starting our day productively. But even though we know deep inside that jumping into action will allow us to take control of our lives, we choose not to do so.
So why do we procrastinate?

What causes procrastination

Each and everyone of us has its own reasons for pushing forward obligations, goals and actions to the near or far future.
The most common reasons can be summarized as follows:

• Fear of failure
  Imagine that you have gone through a terrible experience in the past like an unprepared presentation, a failed exam or a terrible date. Bringing back in mind all those bad feelings will make you hesitant to try with a new presentation, exam or date. Instead you will always try to find excuses in order to avoid it or try to persuade yourself that you will do it when you feel ready.
• Perfectionism
  “Perfect” is the enemy of “Good”.
  In the past, almost every candidate for a job would note down in their CVs how perfectionists they are. Nowadays, the pursuit of perfectionism seems to be a drawback. We live in such a fast world with so many daily tasks that it is impossible to be perfect in all aspects of our lives.Waiting to be perfect in order to go after a new opportunity will lead to more delays.
• Bad health
  There can be many reasons why one’s health is in bad shape. Inadequate sleep, bad nutrition or lack of sports can drain you from all stamina required to go after your dreams.
• Unclear goals
  A GPS if you don’t know where you are heading to, is just a piece of junk. Without clear goals, concrete directions and motivation you will find yourself running like a headless chicken in confusion and frustration.
• Lack of patience and self discipline
  People want fast results in whatever they start with. With the first sign of failure or difficulty many of us will choose to quit.
• Quest of instant gratification
  The immediate pleasure of a delicious hamburger right now is more attractive than the careful design, planning and execution of a healthy nutrition plan. The results of a well followed plan take time to materialize and unfortunately without persistence we are very short-sighted.

What procrastination does to you

Procrastination can become a habit that leads to more procrastination, a vicious cycle that is not easy to get out of. In the long run, procrastination can expose you to a lot of dangers like:

• Excessive Stress: Postponing important decisions and actions for later, while a deadline for something that has to be done is approaching, creates a lot of anxiety.
• Boredom and lack of interest: Avoidance of engagement makes you sluggish and lazy. This is yet another vicious cycle leading to quitting. Quitting of action and quitting of life in general.
• Tiredness: Constant procrastination gradually weakens the body and mind leading to a permanent state of low energy and lethargic behavior.
• Negative self-image :The lack of small victories in life -which add small bricks on the wall of confidence- may make you feel that you are a failure.
• Antisocial behavior :Avoiding social events, distance you from people that could potentially add value to your life.
• Loss of professional opportunities :Waiting for the perfect time to apply for a job or to take another initiative, gives advantage over you to someone with less skills but with more confidence.
• Lose face :People will not trust doing business or other activities with someone that might not show up on time or might not stand up for the occasion.

How to overcome procrastination

If you feel that you procrastinate with your life and you want out, the first thing you have to do is to convince yourself that it is you and only you that have the control of your life.
You are the master of your mind and body and the only responsible for your actions.
Blame-Shifting is an interesting term to describe the tendency of transferring the blame for our failure to someone or something else. There should be no room for blame-shifting in your life since no one else will help you overcome procrastination but your inner voice.

It might be really challenging to perform this paradigm shift and see your life from a different view but it is worthed. Here are 6 actions you can take towards a more active life.

• Understand, that not only success but also failure is part of life. There will be good and bad experiences in life. By realizing that you can cherish the good times and accept the bad knowing that they will be followed by good times again.

• Start now with whatever idea you have in mind and you will become better with time. Experience and improvement will come only if you put your idea in motion and not if you design it to be perfect on paper.

• Give your body the right nutrients, sufficient sleep and enough exercise so that you can feel stronger and more energized.

• Discover what motivates you in life, find your vision and make a plan to live a life according to your values.

• Disconnect from social media. Time spent on social media is time stolen from productive activities that could boost your fulfillment levels.

• Start with small wins in your life by setting simple goals that you can easily manage and achieve. Gradually start adding more challenging goals.

CONCLUSION

It is never too late to kiss procrastination goodbye. Go ahead and plan your short and long term actions right now. Do not lose more time. Take control of your life and enjoy the benefits of fulfillment and the joy of living a value driver life, full of meaning and purpose.

Good luck.