The Way To Overcome Procrastination

If you wait for things to be in perfect condition (to start), you will be waiting forever.

For the longest time I have known myself to be a procrastinator, a.k.a. perfectionist. Waiting (to decide) was my favourite game (still is sometimes).  

My mother told me she never knew how "picky" I was until we went out shopping. She was surprised that I didn't buy anything the whole day after spending so much time deciding back and forth what to buy.

My friends would comment how cautious I was with my money. I would spend a long time deciding what I want, weighing the pros and cons, and too often I missed out on opportunities or things I wanted. "I wish I had..." frequently top my favourite line of the day and I would self comfort by thinking "It's not meant to be."

Even if you’re on the right track – you’ll get run over if you just sit there. – Arthur Godfrey , American radio broadcaster

The truth is I was constantly afraid to make mistakes. I was trying to pick the "right decision". I was playing it safe. I was falling into the trap of being a responsible adult. I was trying not to look foolish.

I have learned overtime the key to overcome procrastination is simply to START. You make a decision. You take an intentional action. You learn to trust your gut. You learn to be OK if you make an undesirable choice (unless you keep making the same one over and over again). You learn to be human. You stop seeking perfection and work on progression.

In a moment of decision, the best thing you can do is the right thing to do, the next best thing is the wrong thing, and the worst thing you can do is nothing. – Theodore Roosevelt

Procrastination is not all bad though. There is beauty in waiting and sometimes it pays to delay instant gratification. Waiting for the weekend to eat your favourite ice cream instead of eating it on impulse only to regret later. Buying that designer bag that was on sale only to realise later that you have no need for it. 

The point is there is no right or wrong in procrastination. What matters is the value you perceive when you take a particular action or not. I can wait for this article to be proof read before publishing it or see a higher value in sharing it with my less than perfect grammar. If the goal is to write, then simply write. Don't being overly concern with the small details - grammar, fonts, colours, content etc... Be willing to be bad, practise and get better over time. 

Perhaps then the key to over procrastination is being less of a perfectionist and start being a man / woman of action.