Hello All!
Happy Friday! After changing my routine so many times this week, I finally figured out what day of the week it is. Whee!
Question of day is what are you not doing?
What project or change in your life are you just not doing? What is nagging at you to do? It is there in the back of your mind? Is it a talk with someone? Is it that volunteer activity you want to do? Is it that book you want to read? Is it starting that business? There is something though, right? The diet. The gym. Bathing the dog. Cleaning house. What?
What does not really matter. What matters is that it isn’t getting done.
The next question is why are you not doing it?
Most people may say they are procrastinating. Are you procrastinating or lazy? Well, I think it depends on what it is. If the thing you are not doing is being put off until you have time, that is procrastination. If the thing you are not doing requires a lot of effort, then it is laziness.
The next question is what to do about it?
The answer to this depends on what you are not doing. If you are procrastinating, sometimes you just have to do it. You have to stop putting it off and make time to get this off your *to do* list. Stop everything and take care of it. Pay the bill, vacuum, go to the dentist or what ever it is you are putting off.
Laziness is a different issue. First let me say that laziness is not a bad thing. It is just a thing. Being lazy does not make you a bad person. You are disinclined and reluctant. Why? Because well probably there is a lot of things you have to do, and maybe you don’t see a lot of reward in doing it.
Procrastinating or lazy is makes little difference. Why? Because you will do something when it is important enough to you to do it. It takes more effort to get over lazy, but you will if it is important enough.
Reasons for both procrastination and laziness:
It is hard. You don’t know how to do it. You have to make the effort to figure out how to do it. It is sort of like the homework you did not want to do as a kid. You had to study. You could not just do it. You had to read and understand a text book. UGH!
It is overwhelming. There are so many things that have to be done. What should you do first? What will help the most to accomplish this goal? Along with this is the desire for instant gratification. You want some pleasure out of your efforts, and you want it now. The more that has to be done the slower the rewards. Sometimes we just don’t want to do a thing because you just won’t get rewarded for awhile. But that ice cream, beer, nap they will make you feel better in a short amount of time.
Benefits are not clear. This is the Why? Why do I really want to do this? I don’t want to. Or I don’t care. It does not seem important. There are no consequences if you don’t do it. It is not urgent. Things will just stay the same. There is no need to change.
How get around to it:
Make a challenge to your self. Challenge yourself to do it.
Make it a routine. Set aside some time every day to do even a little of the task. Sometimes it just takes getting into a habit of doing something to get it done.
If it is hard, break it down into small, manageable pieces. I think one of the hardest part of anything you don’t do is that you see a lot to do. But if you make small tasks then it is a lot more manageable. All you have to do is that one small thing. Then you do the next small thing. Then it is done!
Rewards. It is really important to reward yourself. When get through so many of those small tasks, celebrate! Do something that will make doing those things worthwhile. This will help with the delayed gratification issue.
Enjoy! When you are all finished, enjoy the results of your efforts. You did it! Don’t you feel great? You did it and you did not let yourself down.
Determination: Don’t stop. Can’t stop. Won’t stop.
Need help? www.facebook.com/lisaylifecoach
Co achieve!
Remember if it matters to you it matters.
Lisa Yerington life coach here wishing you a great day and a great weekend.
Yeah!