Time to Procrastinate With Joy

Dog days of summer? Kinda wonderful. The sultry weather definition in the Farmer’s Almanac is only the first one. The second definition is “a period of inactivity or sluggishness; a period of stagnation.”

What if we choose to go with that? What if we put off frantic activity until September? Or later? When we were kids, school starts, and we snap into action. Now? Oh, the guilt and shame of it. We accuse ourselves of procrastination, and we make it bad.

Have I got news for you! Procrastination is quite positive. Look at the prefix. PRO is the most positive prefix in our language. Think of all the positive words that start with “pro.” (I asked audiences to respond to that question back in the day, and the funniest response was a guy shouted out, “Prophylactic.” The crowd went wild.)

Look at the definition of procrastinate: “To put off intentionally and habitually.” This means you meant to put it off, and you put it off more than once. How freeing is that?

Procrastinating is not the action of a helpless victim. So why do we use it to feel that way? We beat ourselves up for procrastinating. However, when we look at it truthfully, we must admit that the thing we procrastinate is usually something we don’t want to do. Two actions are possible:

• Cross it off your list and stop thinking you “should” do it.
• Or…delegate it.

But what if it’s important to do it yourself? What if it’s a priority? Break the task down into smaller, doable tasks and do them one at a time. Reward yourself after each one. For some of us, drawing a line through it is satisfying enough; others promise ourselves a coffee break. Be a proud procrastinator of the unimportant, unloved tasks. Put them off and stop beating yourself up about it. But if it’s something you want to do – – just do it.

Most things get done because they are scheduled. Ask a busy person? Yes. They get it done because they don’t wait until they have some free time. They will fit it in.

So–you can schedule something or you can put it off.

Don’t even take the extra step of making a resolution. Just get out your calendar, schedule it and do it! Make it happen now. Or put it off proudly until you schedule it and then, do it!

If now, even in summer, is the time you want and need to speak to grow your business, please schedule your 30-minute complimentary clarity call. You get value and we discover if we are a match to work together.