I am guilty of Procrastination!

Procrastination is one of the most common and deadliest of diseases and its toll on success and happiness is heavy.

Wayne Gretzky

I have to confess.

I have been lazy again. I gave in to the tiny voices in my head and kept procrastinating when it comes to updating my blog. What am I avoiding? Why is it that time and time again, I have this burst of energy at the beginning and then this energy dwindles off after a while...why is it so difficult to sustain this energy?

Have you ever felt this way? Being so excited about something at the beginning and when you finally kick-start it, you find it hard to sustain it- you start to procrastinate.

Possible causes of Procrastination

Being a Perfectionist and the Deadly Comparison

I am a perfectionist. Once I do something, I often want it done well. Sometimes, if I cannot imagine how to get to my end point, I get demotivated and start to procrastinate. I am guilty of setting lofty goals for myself which are difficult to achieve, and it only serves to stop me before I even started. For example, I have come to discover that one reason why I have been procrastinating in writing my blog is because I keep comparing myself to the likes of Marc and Angel (http://www.marcandangel.com/) and Celestine Chua (www.personalexecellence.co) and then get demoralized when I see them so successful.

The more I compare, the more I lack patience to wait for the seed I planted to bloom and stop watering it after the first few weeks. 

It's kind of stupid I know but yes, that's what many of us do, we compare and therefore fall flat on our feet before we get anything done. Therefore, it is important to note that comparison is more dangerous than you think, because there will always be someone better than you.

Thinking too much

Somehow I have an hyperactive mind. I spend half my time thinking what I want to do, and half my time thinking why I should not do it today. Really crazy but that means my day often end up with me not doing anything. I think too much, too many voices in my head, and nothing gets done.

The Consequences?

This has been my pattern for the past few months. This was how I fell into monotony for the past few months. Because I kept putting off things I want to do, my energy got drained with it.


I leave things half-hanging. I never get things done well. I do not get to live up to my fullest potential. I start doubting myself and my words. I become disappointed and ashamed of myself. I stopped believing in myself.

It's scary. It's like a downward spiral. Take exercising for example (another thing I have constantly procrastinated on), if you decide to PUSH BACK that exercise till tomorrow just because you are too tired today, most likely you won't exercise tomorrow as well. There will just be different reasons stopping you from doing the things you set out to do. And after several pushing back, you might just decide you don't want it that badly after all, and it becomes low on your priority list.

As I am trying to fight this bad pattern of mine, let us consider why it is so important to do so. 

The benefits of not procrastinating and following things through include:

A sense of inner peace

We are always trying to be accepted by society, gain approval from our friends and family. However, something really important that we tend to neglect is getting accepted by ourselves. For me, I have been so busy gaining acceptance and approval from everyone around me that I have neglected myself, what I value most etc. I do not complete things I set myself to do, and over time, this has caused me to 'look down' on myself. The truth is, there is no need to gain approval from people around us, what is most important is being accountable to yourself.

What I discovered is that, WHEN YOU DO NOT DO WHAT YOU SET OUT TO DO, YOU HAVE LET YOURSELF DOWN. And you know it, somewhere at the back of your mind, the feeling is lingering, and it is not a good feeling. Only when you are accountable to yourself, can you feel a sense of inner peace. And I daresay, being accountable to yourself is more important than anything else.

Feeling alive

You may wonder. Why are some people often so energetic and alive despite their busy schedule? Where did they get all the energy from? Well, I believe it is because they waste no time thinking whether to do something or not, they just do it. They have mastered their mind. Therefore, mental energy is not drained.

For me, I always thought that to gain more energy, all I needed to do was to have more sleep. Therefore, I tend to put off my exercise, my task list, just to catch a few more hours in bed. However, what I realized was that I actually lose energy, and do not feel anymore recharged by sleeping more. 

Why is that so? Well, while sleeping, the back of my mind still has the things I was supposed to do but put off. The constant thinking of them actually drains mental energy! Overcoming the inertia, following through what you want to do actually gives you more energy! When you are in the moment, not wasting your time thinking of doing something, or thinking of excuses not to do it, you actually regain your energy and feel alive! Ever recall a time when you dreaded something but went ahead to do it in the end? Do you feel revitalized after it? I certainly do!

Transcending yourself and Achieving your goals

Being able to quieten your mind and go past your comfort and break through your inertia allows you to transcend yourself. You are becoming a BIGGER, GREATER person each time you say NO to that procrastination machine. You become a better person as you constantly make conscious effort to fight your inner demons, and this, in the long run, will serve you well in achieving whatever goals you may set for yourself.



How can I overcome procrastination?

Take some time to reflect.

Find out what you want to achieve, why you want to do it and how you are going to achieve it. It's always important to have some alone time to yourself everyday. It allows you to put things into perspective, re-evaluate your actions, re-prioritize stuff, learn from your mistakes...As Socrate once said, "An unexamined life is not worth living." So do take some time to sharpen your saw! More often than not, you will emerge clearer and re-energized.

Be clear why you want to do this

It is important to be clear of your goals and WHY you want to do this. Sometimes we are so caught up with the nitty-grittys, that we forget the bigger picture. Therefore, while pursuing what you set out to do, it is important to constantly go back and ask yourself, why do you want to do this, is it really important, what bigger purpose does it serve? If you are unable to answer the question, probably it is time to ask yourself whether it is really worth spending time doing the task.

Many times its about Just doing it.

Everyone faces inertia. What depends who succeed and who don't is who is the ability to persist on despite the struggle. Everyone is tired, everyone is busy, everyone has a lot to do, everyone do not have enough time...but instead of spending time thinking of excuses, why not JUST DO IT. Over time, as this becomes a habit, you will find yourself spending time more effectively, you will be energized and purposeful.

I can't say I have mastered the art of overcoming procrastination. I am still trying. Whatever I said is insights I have gained through interactions with successful people, my own observations and experiences. But at least, I am glad to say, I finally overcome my procrastination in writing this blog post! I love blogging, yet, sometimes I still get lazy.

Right now, I feel a surreal sense of peace. After overcoming my initial resistance, I believe I can do so much more. I am energized and excited to see how much more I can complete!

Once I start writing, I get into the flow, the more I write the more I feel like writing..it feels good. Initially I only planned to write one paragraph but right now, it is a full-blown article! :)

It's funny how we think that we gain energy by following our mind, lazing around, giving in to the tiny voices in our heads, when in fact, most of the time, your energy is drained MENTALLY not PHYSICALLY by you start putting things off!

The road is success is a journey. Every single step counts. Overcoming procrastination is one important step we must all take. Let us fight this procrastination machine together and strive towards what we believe in!!!