Why Do I Procrastinate?
A better question is why do I feel bad about procrastinating? For some reason, procrastination has a stigma. You need to take more pride in your procrastination.
Forget the blemish procrastination has. It is not intended to make us feel bad. It is just a word.
The solution for procrastination is to accept it. It is a positive trait you can wear as a badge of honor. Congratulations on being a procrastinator. Here is why it is good.
Procrastination gives you time to ponder.
It is a form of brainstorming. Instead of making a rash decision, procrastinating gives you time to think carefully about the task. You do not have to hurry through a decision just for the sake of deciding. You need to weigh the consequences or brainstorm more until the correct solution surfaces. You are not a computer with data stored. You are a problem solver. The next time you accuse yourself of suffering from procrastination, instead give yourself a pat on the back and say: “I am a problem solver, and I do not just make the first decision that comes to mind. Genius takes time.” Stop insulting your genius.
Procrastination allows you to do things right the first time.
I learned this the hard way. When I was earning my master’s degree in Education, I thought procrastinating was bad. In hindsight, I would have benefitted had I put the projects off longer. When I had an assignment to complete, I started the day it was assigned. It ended up taking me more time. I did not take the time to let my brain consider other options. Then I would end up re-doing large parts of the assignments I had already done. After time passed, I realized my first instinct was not always the right answer. I had to rewrite several times. If I had just let myself procrastinate, I could have written the assignment onetime. Hence saving myself from many revisions.
Timing is everything.
Trust your gut. If the timing were right, you would be doing it. I do not know what “it” is. If you feel guilty you have not acted on “it,” journal about why you have not. Often the answer is inside you. When the timing is right and the situation is right, you will act. Trust yourself.
If you think the timing is right, read my article How to Stop Procrastinating and Make Progress by Filling in the Blank.
Can you forgive yourself for not acting sooner? I love the quote “Life is a journey not a destination.” -Ralph Waldo Emerson
