Do you procrastinate? Are you constantly putting things off, even when you know accomplishing them is the best thing to do? If so, you are certainly not alone. Everyone procrastinates or shirks responsibility at some time or other. The problem is that chronic procrastination can damage your health, ruin you financially, and create a rash of mental and emotional problems.
If that is the case, and human beings know what we should be doing, why aren't we doing them?
Sometimes procrastination is intentional, and sometimes it is a byproduct of your lifestyle. Listed below are 6 common reasons why you procrastinate. Understanding the motivation behind your avoidance and putting off of responsibilities is the first step to stopping that behavior.
1 - Poor Diet
This one probably surprised you, didn't it? It shouldn't.
Many people living in modern civilizations eat too much processed food. They are consuming sugar, salt, MSG, trans fats, fast foods and other food-like products that are unhealthy. This has led to the highest incidence rate of obesity and overweight in human history. When you are tired, lethargic and your body does not get the nutrients it needs, you have little energy and your brain does not function properly.
Get more live, organic, fresh fruits and vegetables into your diet. Eat less foods that come in a wrapper, bag or box. Start reading food labels, and avoid sugar, salt, MSG and trans fats. Make more meals at home, eating wild caught salmon and tuna, nuts, berries, grass-fed beef and organic dairy products. You will not only sharpen your mind and stop procrastinating, but you will also become healthier and lose unneeded body fat in the process.
2 - Lack of Motivation
When a task is boring, or you "just don't feel like doing it", it is easy to put off. Remind yourself why you are doing any particular task or handling a responsibility. When you understand the important reasons why something is on your to-do list, you can motivate yourself through to its completion.
3 - Time Issues
"I don't have the time!" Have you ever used this excuse in order to procrastinate or put something off? Most human beings in today's busy society have a lot on their plates. There are a lot of tasks and responsibilities to handle. But the truth is, we waste so many hours every day and week because we do not properly prioritize or plan our actions. A daily, weekly and monthly activity planner solves this problem.
4 - Fear of Criticism
A perfectionist attitude can easily lead to procrastination. You want something to be "just right" before you cross it off your to-do list. This is really a deep-seated fear of criticism, either from yourself or others. Understand that nothing is ever perfect, make it acceptable, and move on.
5 - Fear of Rejection or Disappointment
Have you ever put off making a telephone call or speaking with someone? The communication is important and you know it, but you still keep finding reasons to put it off. This could be based on a fear of disappointment or rejection. You don't want the other person to tell you something you don't want to hear.
6 - Avoidance of Failure
Sometimes your "I'll do it later" attitude is very simple to understand. You are afraid of failure. No one likes to fail. However, all of the great achievements in human history were made on the back of repetitive failures. If you are afraid to fail, you may never achieve anything truly important in your life, mentally, physically, emotionally or spiritually.
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