Submitted by nwalker on Fri, 01/15/2010 - 07:00.
Gayla Grace is a wife and mother to five children in her blended family. Gayla has a Master’s Degree in Psychology/Counseling and is a resident of Conway. She ministers to stepfamilies and can be contacted through her website at www.stepparentingwithgrace
My sister, Jan, had been overweight most of her life. As she approached her fortieth birthday,
stunned by her doctor’s “morbidly obese” diagnosis, she decided it was time to make a serious change. She was surrounded by the top medical facilities in Chicago and decided to access the Wellness Institute at Northwestern University Memorial Hospital. She was looking for a healthy approach to long-term weight management, not a fad diet or short-term solution. “You’re an ideal candidate for gastric bypass surgery,” she was told, a surgery that reduces the stomach and allows food to bypass part of the small intestine. After educating herself on the pros and cons of the procedure, she scheduled the surgery and began the process of losing 180 pounds over the next year. Seven years later, she still maintains a healthy weight and keeps a regular exercise and healthy eating routine for herself. She reached her goals, one at a time, by taking a major step toward the desired outcome, refusing to put off what she knew she needed to do.
As we turn the calendar to a new year, it’s a great time to evaluate what’s happening in our lives and what we want to do differently. Setting goals is a natural process if we want to make changes, but reaching our goals doesn’t always come easily. We have to combat procrastination and our excuses for delaying action if we’re serious about meeting our goals.
Procrastination is defined as “deferring action” or “to put off till another day or time.” It’s not created by our lack of time, but rather is directly related to how we choose to spend our time, acting on our current goals or putting off what we know needs to be done. It can become a habitual process that prevents us from reaching our goals. Further, procrastination keeps us from enjoying the task at hand if we’re delaying another task we should be completing.
The causes for procrastination vary but might include: unclear or ambiguous goals, fear of failure, the perception the task is too difficult, waiting for exactly the right time to begin, or fear of unpleasant or painful experiences. If we determine the reasons for our procrastination, we can more easily move from paralysis to action.
I’m guilty of procrastination when it’s time to clean the house. I’ve never enjoyed cleaning and, therefore, it’s an unpleasant task to me. It also seems overwhelming when I tackle the entire house at one time. So, I finally learned to break the job into smaller tasks and begin with one simple chore, then move to the next chore when finished. It’s easier to get started with one small task as opposed to facing the entire job. The sense of satisfaction from completing each task keeps me moving to the next one.
Other ways to combat procrastination include keeping a working list of what needs to be done and crossing off items when completed. Begin the week on Sunday evening and make a plan for every day, prioritizing the most important tasks. Start each day with a five minute review of what was accomplished the day before, and what needs to be started on that day. Use a yellow highlighter to accent urgent tasks or appointments.
Procrastination can also be avoided if we maintain balance throughout our day, reducing distractions and rewarding ourselves when completing scheduled tasks. Distractions come in many forms and can seriously impact our time and productivity. Controlling phone calls, regulating e-mail, and eliminating Internet browsing and social media (i.e. Facebook) when working toward scheduled tasks allows for more productive periods.
We’re less likely to delay action on our goals if we determine the hours of the day when we are most productive. People are usually categorized as “larks” or “owls,” depending on their regular wake/sleep habits and associated productivity. Because I am typically a lark, I work best in the early morning; as I complete this article, it is 5:30 a.m. But many people are more productive later in the day, and will accomplish more toward their goals by scheduling difficult tasks during their productive periods.
Putting off what we know we need to do robs us of enjoying our days and reaching our goals. We make a choice every day whether to control procrastination or allow it to control us.
