Procrastination.
It can be our worst enemy.
Always keeping us from doing what’s most important.
Blocking us from success, keeping us in unhealthy situations, preventing us from experiencing our fullest potential.
Procrastination can seem like a frustrating mystery.
Why would we put off doing important work?
Why do we stall and avoid instead of facing the things that will make our lives better?
Why postpone exercising, asking for that promotion, washing the car, or making that important phone call to our friend who is grieving?
Turns out, we are not lazy, or irresponsible, or illogical.
What I’ve come to realize is that procrastination is a great protector.
It’s an annoyingly reliable signal of danger.
It pops up every time we sense that we are not safe moving forward.
We are smart, and adaptive, and have a keen sense of when something is “just not quite right”.
When you aren’t moving forward, when you’re stuck, standing still, waiting, procrastinating… it’s because you have stumbled across something very important.
You’ve found a piece of information that needs tending to.
You’re an animal with a scent, a scent of something dangerous.
So, don’t do what most of us do, and beat yourself up for your procrastination.
Instead, pay very, very close attention.
Read the signs.
Dig deeper.
Look harder.
Find the source.
You’re not irrational.
Something is up.
Figure out what it is.
It might be an old memory.
You may have asked for a promotion in the past, and ended up humiliated and rejected.
You may have experienced brutal exercise regimens when you were young that left you in pain, exhausted, and depleted.
Maybe someone pushed you too hard.
Maybe you’re procrastinating putting your art in a local art show because the collection you just finished is deeply personal and cutting-edge.
And, maybe the last time you shared art that was so raw, it was met with judgment or criticism.
The reason we procrastinate is simple, to keep ourselves safe.
But, staying safe can also mean setting our dreams and goals on the shelf.
Sometimes moving toward what we want involves a bit of risk.
So, if you want something and you’re not making progress, find out why.
Work out the kinks.
Unpack the thing that scares you, and then decide how to proceed.
Our procrastination system is unbelievably reliable. It sounds the alarm every single time danger presents itself.
It’s your job to determine the appropriate action when the alarm bells go off.
Do you change directions?
Do you adjust and find a better way?
Do you acknowledge the painful memories from the past, learn from them, and move forward more confidently?
The worst thing to do is beat yourself up for your procrastination and bulldoze head first into the task.
Because, ignoring your inner alarm bells will only make them sound more loudly the next time.
So, pay attention.
Honor yourself.
Trust your instincts.
Procrastination is information, so use it wisely.