Wondering what are the effects of procrastination? They’re not good.
It is doubtful that there is any one who can honestly claim never to have fallen victim to procrastination and suffered the effects of procrastination.
Procrastination is putting off something that you need to do within a specific time frame.
Sometimes you just do not want to pay the bills or go to the dentist or do your homework or ask your spouse for a divorce. But when you procrastinate, particularly if you make a habit of it, it is going to bite you in the behind and cause enormous problems for you.
World-class procrastinators always put off doing a task until the very last minute and then all hell breaks loose because they have backed themselves into a corner. The procrastinator puts off what he should have done yesterday until the very last second and then panic ensues. The effects of procrastinating can be far-reaching and damaging.
The procrastinator becomes irritable, grouchy and ridiculously demanding and mad at everyone — although the only person he should be mad at is himself.
When you procrastinate, you are not managing your time well and the odds are you are going to crash into the wall at the 11th hour when you are trying to (unsuccessfully) juggle several balls at once.
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When you have to do something that you really, really do not want to do your tendency is, naturally, to sidestep it as long as you can and put off doing it. This is typical human nature. However, you must recognize that you are doing this. This is the first step in overcoming your propensity to procrastinate.
Sit down and think about why you are persistently procrastinating and the effects it is having on your life.
Perfectionism
If you are a perfectionist and this is a reason why you are procrastinating because you fear you cannot do a perfect job, take a deep breathe, and relax. Get it into your head that not every job has to be done perfectly and that perfection is not expected from anyone all of the time or maybe even any of the time.
Try to loosen your standards. When you procrastinate you are sabotaging yourself and that is no way to live. Try to get yourself organized. Use calendars, alarms, date books or anything that can keep you on track. Set the alarm reminder on your computer.
Fear of failure or success
Some people unconsciously procrastinate because they have a fear of either failure or success. If you truly suffer from tremendous self doubt and fear that your work is going to be deemed inferior by others, and this is what is causing you to procrastinate, you must work on improving your self esteem and your self worth. You must get past the silly notion that you will not be judged if you never finish a task because there is nothing upon which to base that judgment because you will be judged as a procrastinator and that does not go over well at work or in your private life.
Procrastination on your part makes it difficult for the people around you, particularly for those who are working with or for you. It makes you and them run late, it puts unnecessary pressure on yourself and others and it causes extreme stress, which is never a good thing.
Getting past chronic procrastination
When you chronically procrastinate you are doing yourself a serious injustice because you are ultimately going to miss an air flight or an important occasion or the opportunity to graduate on time. You are going to miss getting raises and promotions because you did not get done what you needed to get done or you did not get where you were supposed to be when you were supposed to be there.
This is self-destructive behavior.
If you think about it from that perspective you may come to realize that procrastinating is selfish behavior because it draws others into your tumultuous vortex and creates unnecessary angst and resentment.
Unfortunately, there is no overnight panacea for chronic procrastinators. You cannot take a pill that makes you stop procrastinating. You are going to have to address this problem head on and figure out a way to change your behavior. There are training programs that can help procrastinators overcome this problem. Find one and attend.