Procrastination is when you put off something you should be doing right now until a later date. It could be something as simple as cleaning out the garage or something as complex as starting a home business. Many men who procrastinate make excuses such as, “It’s too cold to clean out the garage today” or, “I can’t start a home business with the economy being the way it is now.”
Excuses may seem like valid reasons for not pursuing your goals but they’re really just ways of keeping you in your comfort zone. If you stay in your comfort zone, you’ll never grow into the better man you know you can be.
Procrastination is Bad for Your Health
You may think procrastination has no side effects. After all, you get to lounge around doing fun distracting things like sleeping, playing video games or hanging out with your friends.
But eventually, the fruits of all your non-labor start to catch up with you.
When you have a goal in your head, it’s like a nagging voice that won’t leave you alone. It will creep up on you at the worst of moments, causing a dull anxiety you can’t quite put your finger on. Suddenly you’re snapping at your co-workers and randomly cursing at people in traffic.
Procrastinating is like keeping a car engine running but never actually driving it on the road. You’ve got all this energy build-up and no fulfillment. Feelings of guilt and anxiety can eventually turn into depression and hopelessness, making procrastination a way of life.
Procrastinating is Bad for Your Love Life
Not only is procrastination bad for your mental health, it can also put a damper on your love life. Women are more attracted to men with ambition. Men who continually talk about their lofty goals but never get up off the couch long enough to accomplish them will find themselves without a girlfriend in no time.
How to Stop Procrastinating Right Now
This is your year to stop procrastinating. Hey, some of us thought the year 2013 would never even happen what with whole Mayan calendar thing so what have you got to lose?
If you want to stop procrastinating right now, follow these tips:
Get Out a Pen and Paper
Go ahead, get out a pen and paper right now and write down a list of at least 5 goals. They don’t have to be big goals. They just have to be something you’ve been putting off doing for at least one month. Next, take a good long look at your goals and write down how achieving those goals will improve your life.
After that, write down what it is that’s stopping you from pursuing these goals. Yeah, this is usually the hardest part. Don’t just write down, “I’m lazy” or “I just don’t feel like it”. If you didn’t feel like it, you wouldn’t be upset about not achieving your goals. Think about the real reason, deep down, you don’t want to start. Once you figure out what’s really making you procrastinate, you’ll be that much closer to attaining your goals.
Do Something Right Now
Do the dishes need doing? Should you finish that report you’ve been putting off? Do it. Whatever it is that will take you less than half an hour, do it. Even if it’s something as simple as cleaning off the clutter on your desk at work. Do something. When you’re done, sit back and notice how you feel. Look at your clean desk or your finished report or your tidy kitchen and concentrate on that feeling of accomplishment.
Awesome, isn’t it?
Ask for Help
If a major home project just looks like it’s going to be too much of a pain in the butt to tackle yourself, ask a couple of buddies over to help you out. A couple of six packs of beer and some pizza will be all the payment they’ll be looking for and you’ll get to turn an irritating project into something at least resembling fun.
Start a Vision Board
If you’ve never heard of the Law of Attraction, it’s the idea that when you put any intention out there to the universe, you start attracting it to you.
For the creative guy, a vision board can be a lot of fun. Go out and get a large piece of construction paper and a few magazines that most strongly reflect your goals. Want a better body? Cut out a picture of a model or actor whose body you wish yours looked like. Want to travel more? Clip out pictures of all the places you want to go and slap ‘em on there. What about the perfect girl? Think of the qualities and assets you’re looking for in the woman and put her up there too.
Visions boards work for just about anything from careers to relationships and more. When you’re finished with it, put it up somewhere you can see it so you’ll feel inspired every day.
Reward Yourself
A lot of guys procrastinate because the task is boring so it can help to bribe yourself with a reward. It’s a great trick to use until you get used to tackling tasks right away instead of putting them off.
The best way to stop procrastinating right now is to just get up and start tackling your projects one at a time. Refer to your lists and your vision board. The more you accomplish, the more you’ll want to accomplish. The ambition is there, you just have to bring it out.
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Image courtesy of [Ambro] / FreeDigitalPhotos.net
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