Dear ,
|
|
Welcome to Issue 298. The mission of "Marvelous Mondays" is to offer an inspirational thought, a practical exercise, some humor, or a simple tip to jump-start your week and to enhance your life, business, outlook or relationships.
Please feel free to forward "Marvelous Mondays" to others who will enjoy it.
Did you miss a previous issue? Click here to view an Archive.
|
| THE BENEFITS |
|
A person who procrastinates on a project may derive these benefits:
1. NO DECISION = NO RISK = NO FAILURE. If the project requires planning or analysis or anything more difficult than just a perfunctory task, then a procrastinator may consciously or unconsciously believe that he will get some of these benefits:
- Avoiding a mistake. Since making a decision could lead to making a mistake, the procrastinator fears becoming a "failure" or being judged.
- Avoiding asking for help. The procrastinator may perceive asking for help as a weakness. A person who doesn't know how to start or complete a project would rather have people think they are too busy or have too much on their plate. This feels more comfortable than asking for help. The fear of asking for help is often rooted in a lack of courage, knowledge, experience or self-confidence.
2. DUMP IT ON SOMEONE ELSE. If a person dislikes the project or finds it boring, then procrastinating long enough may result in someone else having to take over the project.
3. FEED YOUR NEGATIVE SELF-IMAGE. By procrastinating, persons can reinforce their negative self-talk such as "I don't have enough training" or "I don't have enough education" or "I'm just not smart enough". |
| EXERCISE |
|
This week I invite you to reflect on the following:
1. Has there ever been a time when you procrastinated starting a project?
- If so, did you ask for help?
2. Find out why someone you know is procrastinating.
3. Create a conversation to help a procrastinator in your life or at your workplace.
4. How can you make certain that the person who is procrastinating has all the information to complete the assignment? (This is a good reflection for supervisors, managers, parents, teachers and coaches.)
|
