You’ve been given an assignment, you either don’t know where to start because there’s so many components to it and you feel overwhelmed, or it feels mindlessly boring to you. So, instead of starting on it, you tell yourself there’s a lot of time and you’ll get back to it. Does this sound familiar? If so, keep reading, If not, you and I both know that at some point in our lives, we all procrastinate, so either way, this article is for you.
The Advantages Of Procrastinating
Yes! I said it! There are advantages to putting things off.
Advantage #1
Sometimes… not always, we put things off, because, something doesn’t feel quite right to us. We may not know it at the time but it presents itself when we need to know. This concept is especially true if you’re typically a go-getter but for some reason, you keep putting off the task.
For example, you may want to work on a project with a friend of yours but for some reason, you don’t ask them for a while, even though the idea of it excites you. You keep wondering why you don’t just go for it. Then a few days later, you’re asked to read over one of their assignments and you realize that their writing skills are atrocious. In that moment, it dawns on you that with your procrastinating skills and their not so phenomenal writing abilities, you’d never had in your best work, because who has time to proofread it if you’re doing it at the last moment anyway. Even if you aren’t handing it in at the last minute, do you really want to be responsible for spending countless hours on your own task then re-working someone else’s work as well?
Advantage #2
Another benefit is when you want to get in touch with your creative side. What do I mean by this? When we’re given a project to work on, rush to create a strategic plan, put our heads down and dive right into work, we often miss out on the opportunity to create some time for white space. In this space, we have the time to think about the ideas, flesh them out and be as creative as possible.
Here’s an an example. when I was asked to create a presentation when I was completing my Bachelors of Education, I created an awesome schedule, because let’s face it, the program in intensive and you don’t have a life when you’re going through it. I remember sitting in front of my computer with my beautiful schedule only to realize that I didn’t have a starting point. It took me TEN hours (sprinkled throughout different days) to finally type my first word. Through that process of waiting and not delving right into the task, I was able to create a presentation that my professor raved about. In fact, she was the one who encouraged me to apply to the Masters program. When I handed in that assignment, I was so proud of it and myself. I had sound of effects and more to go with my theme. In fact, one of the images I used is on my About page (it’s the second image). So taking some time to think and breathe, can be super helpful, as long as you don’t stay in this space for too long.
The Disadvantages Of Procrastinating
You have these BIG dreams or this massive project to work on, but you just don’t feel like doing it. Does this sound familiar? I hear you. The following example will highlight a limitation of procrastinating.
A few years ago, I had to write a proposal to present to my professor so that she could see my motivation behind joining the Master of Education program. I hadn’t even been accepted at that time. Heck! I hadn’t even filled out the forms as I was still on the fence about joining the program. However, this was on my bucket list and I had to get it done, so I remember forcing myself to sit down and type just one line every day during the summer. My thoughts were on packing and seeing my friends and not on this paper. I hated it because it was my summer break and we were about to go on a trip. Nevertheless, I got that paper done in time and handed it in but every day was difficult.
Now imagine for a moment, if I had not done this, I can tell you, without a shadow of doubt that my ability to have a competitive edge would have been slim to none. This may not sound massive to you but now that I’ve completed this degree, it is to me because I’ve accomplished something I didn’t think I was capable of doing and was able to check it off my bucket list.
Procrastination, especially when you don’t feel like doing something, can be a crushing blow to your dreams. You are here for a reason. You have been given your thoughts and dreams for a reason. Don’t let procrastination take them away from you. Want to learn how to work through it? Read the next section and let’s work together for FREE!
Final Thoughts
Now that we know about the advantages and disadvantages of procrastinating, let’s make sure we use it to our advantage. What do I mean? If you have something that is almost due or a dream that you wish you had started but you keep putting it on the back burner then let’s move past procrastination together.
In this video you’ll learn how to move past the limiting beliefs that are holding you back, create a quick progress plan, and dive right into your task. If you’re a parent of teacher, show these videos to your children before a deadline and work on it with them.
Ready to get started? Then click on the image below.
If goal planning is already your jam, then grab your FREE planning journal and enjoy dreaming big and gaining momentum.
While the above roadmap is a great starting point for goal-setting, the following, which is a more comprehensive guide, will go into more depth and will focus on my 6 step goal-setting plan for success.
Your intermediate or middle school aged children can also join in on the fun.
Thank you so much for joining me. I would love to hear about your progress in the comments below.
Take care,
Charlotte
