Procrastination, Wow doesn't it take many forms? Can you imagine how many forms it takes and how much of it is fed by doubt disinterest? I'd love to have a list of all the different reasons we can come up with for 'not' doing something. I know I am as guilty as anyone else for putting things off or avoiding things that must be done. Even with speech courses.
So why??? Why Oh Why do we continually put ourselves through this pressure of either finding an excuse or madly rushing through something at the last moment. And who cares about your half baked excuses or even your half prepared effort? Really it is only you.
So... Do you procrastinate when you want to do something you love? Say you are going on the holiday of a lifetime that you have been dreaming of for years and planning for nearly as long. Do you leave the booking of your tickets till the last moment or perhaps the packing of you bags is holding you back, maybe for some unknown reason you are late getting to the airport? I don't think that would be me. One of my loves is ocean sailing and I am always early at the boat, regardless what the weather or the time of day or night. Are there enough grossly uncomfortable hardships to encounter while sailing on the ocean to dissuade the most ardent disciplinarian or for that matter the ordinary sane person? You bet your sweet nellie there are and I often wonder if I fit the normal. But I love it there is a real attraction for me. So... I don't procrastinate about going sailing.
Do I procrastinate about other things? Yes I do, and I have to use some heavy discipline to overcome that procrastination. I am not a fan of Doctors and Dentists and I will avoid even making an appointment let alone actually going to visit them. I avoid accountants because they tell me what I shouldn't have spent money on after I have done it, as if I don't know when I stuff up.
The good news is that you and I can over come this with the proper practice. When I first started learning about public speaking I was the worst procrastinator ever and slowly with help from my mentor and other friends I developed the love for public speaking. It is so liberating to be proud of what you have to say and the way that you say it. Do I procrastinate now? Yes, occasionally I have to give a speech that I am not too keen on, I then knuckle down and find a way to twist the speech into stories and angles of perspective about the topic that I enjoy thus opening it up to my love.
Give us an idea of some of the excuses you have used in your quest to avoid the inevitable .
Cheers
Terry
