Sucess: 15 Ways to Observe Your Procrastination

Hello again!

Success for me today is being adaptable!

I've been without my lovely laptop for a couple of days --
it is in for some major repair work! I finally got set up
again on my old faithful desktop system, so I'm back in action!

Today's question is from Mr. Ghanshyam Kulkarni
from Mumbai, India. My thanks to him and he is getting
a free copy of my e-book, 77 Loving Steps for Success.

"If things are done in time they have their own beauty and
importance. But every time it is not possible for me. Am I
lacking in some planning or some thing else?"

Dear Mr. Kulkarni,

Today, I may not give 1-2-3 steps for how to overcome
procrastination. I sense that there is something else at play
in your question and I am going to share some musings
and ramble a bit with my thoughts.

I like your statement about things done in time having their
own beauty and importance.

One question to ask with that, though, is "Whose time?"

Is it according to deadlines at work?
Or your own planning?
Or an artificial standard that says you "should" complete
something by a certain time?
Or are we talking about "God's time," the perfect timing that
is beyond the little will of our personality and the "shoulds"
of society?

Typical Success through Accomplishment
You can do a great deal through planning and taking action
steps toward completion of your tasks and goals. When you
don't plan, don't write down goals, and fail to take the needed
actions, you tend to judge yourself as lazy or procrastinating.

Judging merely compounds the problem. Then, in addition to
not getting the thing done or the goal accomplished, you are
beating yourself unmercifully, adding self-punishment and
misery to your burden.

Stop that! Forgive yourself, immediately and in depth!

If you are on track with most of your tasks, getting things done
in a timely manner, you're doing quite well! If there are certain
areas where you drag your feet and resist doing the thing you
think should be done, look for clues for how you are holding
yourself back.

Here are some questions to ask yourself about the area where
you are delaying, resisting or not acting. You will need to be
ruthlessly honest in answering yourself. Listen to your feelings
as well as your logic and reason.

These questions can help you gain new awareness or insight
regarding your situation. In that expanded awareness, you
have more options and choices.

You might end up deciding that a particular goal is something
you don't want after all.

Or you might come to understand that you are not acting because
in a larger sense you are intuitively cooperating with a Divine plan.

Careful and honest reflection will yield the understanding
you need for each personal situation.

1. Do I have an inner conflict about this area?
2. Do I doubt my ability to succeed in this area?
3. Is this a goal I really want for myself? Or do I want it only
   because someone else (parent, spouse, authority figure) says I
   should do it?
4. Is this something I used to want but it no longer fits in my life?
5. Am I worried about or afraid of the results if I move toward this goal?
6. Is delaying part of my intuitive and wise process of self-protection?
   Or is delaying postponing an inevitable confrontation that I dread?
7. Are there truly forces beyond my control influencing my choices?
8. Am I demanding perfection against myself, expecting unrealistic
   accomplishments?
9. If I chose to take action today what would I do?
10. What specifically stops me from doing that?
11. What are the consequences if I delay?
12. Can I live happily with these consequences?
13. Do I see unhappy consequences either way I choose?
14. If so, what are two or three more possible choices I can
    consider in this situation?
15. Considering myself and anyone else involved, what would be
    the most loving choice in this situation?

Please note that none of these questions ask, "Am I procrastinating?"
That is not a helpful question. If you say, "I'm procrastinating,"
you are probably judging yourself. If you say, "I'm not procrastinating,"
you still need to ask yourself questions like the ones above to gain
clarity on what's going on.

The loving approach to this issue is become the Neutral Loving Observer,
to look for clarity and understanding, and to choose again according to
what is truest, highest and best for you and anyone else involved. Then
you can act with freedom and enthusiasm, or you can let the thing go,
already dead of inaction. Being in alignment with yourself is your
new level of success.

Blessings of joy and peace,

Dr. Ilenya