6 Enemies of Career Moms and Mompreneurs: Procrastination

Other than the tried and true motto, Just Do It!, what do I have to share with you about procrastination? Is procrastination something we can conquer or is it a temptation that we have to contend with daily? Why do we (I) procrastinate? Why is it so hard to stop procrastinating even though I know it keeps me from being productive and meeting the goals I have for my life?   In other words, as the quote on a friend’s fridge reads, “Lord, why do I do what I do, when I know what I know?”

I honestly have more questions than I do answers where procrastinating is concerned.   The truth of the matter is procrastination has been a bad habit that I know I need to do something about I’m just not sure how. 

I am aware of at least two instances in which I procrastinate.   I will procrastinate about completing tasks if I feel I can’t do them perfectly. The other instance is when I’m attempting to avoid the discomfort of completing things.  Here’s the bottom line of what I recognize about the results of this avoidance in my own life.

1. It leaves me with an uneasy feeling. The uneasiness I feel when I procrastinate, weighs on my mind more than the task I need to complete.
2. The tasks I procrastinate on cause a ripple effect throughout my life.  I procrastinated on writing this post, because I wanted it to be perfect.  Now, I find myself up late at night, when I should be getting the rest I need to take care of a baby all day.  The end result of my decision to keep putting this off is I may be (very) tired tomorrow.
3. Procrastinating means I limit my choices.  A good example of this is when you need to buy a gift for a party.  When you procrastinate, you have to choose whatever you can find on short notice even when you know there are better options.

As career moms or mompreneurs we’ve decided to divide our time (more than it already would be).  This means we really must have clear priorities and diligently seek ways to be more productive.  We need ideas and strategies for dealing with our encounters with procrastination. 

As an ongoing assignment for myself I’m reading Eat That Frog: 21 Great Ways to Stop Procrastinating and Get More Done in Less Time by Brian Tracy. The premise of the book is if you eat a frog at the beginning of your day, nothing worse can happen in your day.  Your frogs are the most difficult tasks on your To-Do list.  If you eat them first they will give you the momentum and energy to complete your other tasks. (source: www.EatThatFrogmovie.com)  The principles in this book may help you, as well.  It has very brief chapters with action steps at the end of each chapter. 

I would like for this post to get us brainstorming and sharing ideas about how to break this really bad habit.   In what areas of your life do you procrastinate the most? When you know you have a tendency to procrastinate in an area, what do you use to get tasks done? Please, leave a comment.