How to Stop Procrastinating: Overcoming the Self-Sabotaging Habit of Procrastination
by www.Sedona.com Is there something nagging at you right now? Something you know you should be doing (or long since should have completed), but because of the dreaded “P-word” – procrastination – have avoided entirely? In America, procrastination is on the rise. While only 5 percent of us considered ourselves procrastinators in 1978, in 2007 26 percent of us say we procrastinate regularly, according to a study by University of Calgary professor Piers Steel. At the heart of all this avoidance, says Steel, is the temptation to do something else, which in the modern day is everywhere. Think about the many alluring things you could be doing right now instead of that thing you should be working on…surfing the Web for funny videos, texting someone on your cell phone, catching a rerun of your favorite sitcom…the possibilities are endless. Aside from temptation, people procrastinate based on the task’s sense of immediacy, its value and whether they think they can finish it, Steel says. What’s worse, though, is that procrastinating is not good for your physical or mental health. "People who procrastinate tend to be less healthy, less wealthy and less happy," Steel said in a Fox News report. Of course, one of the worst things about procrastination is all the time you spend worrying, begrudging and dreading the task. Most likely, you put a lot more effort into thinking about how much you don’t want to do it than it takes to actually put your nose to the grindstone and complete it. How to Stop Procrastinating Most procrastinators would like to stop so they, too, can enjoy the freedom and elation that comes with having your work done…and therefore having some time to play (without worries!). How can this be done? By letting go of the feelings of resistance that are keeping you from completing your tasks. The Sedona Method is an incredible yet simple system that helps you do just that. The Method teaches you to tap into your inner ability to let go of negative feelings and bad habits (like procrastination) that are holding you back. “The main cause for procrastination is simply resistance to the project that is being put off,” says Hale Dwoskin, CEO and director of training of Sedona Training Associates. “You resist a task, put it off and then still have it as an ongoing burden, which generates more of the feeling of resistance.” “If you allow yourself to let go of the resistance you will find yourself doing even long put off tasks with ease. Resistance is just a feeling and can be let go of if you decide to just drop it,” Dwoskin says. Dropping unwanted feelings is something that we all have the ability to do. The Sedona Method can show you how to reawaken this ability within you. Sources
Psychological Bulletin. 2007 Jan Vol 133(1) 65-94
FoxNews.com
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