FreelanceCoach Blog

Although some people just seem to be born procrastinators, every single one of us is guilty at one time or another of putting things off until a later date.  Sadly though, it’s not just the unpleasant concerns that we keep moving down our to-do lists, but even the things which could genuinely bring us joy and happiness.  How many times, for example, have you heard people talk about how they will write that book, start that business or get serious with that diet “one day”, only for that day never to arrive?

In his best-selling book entitled The Road Less Travelled, psychiatrist M Scott Peck devotes one of his chapters to the subject of delaying gratification, which he describes as “a process of scheduling the pain and pleasure of life in such a way as to enhance the pleasure by meeting and experiencing the pain first and getting it over with.”  He then goes on to explain that although most people learn this process by the time they reach adolescence, for reasons unknown, some individuals barely develop the ability to delay gratification by the age of 15 or 16.  Despite the fact that these people may be of higher-than-average intelligence, their procrastination causes them to perform at less than optimal levels, not just during their school years, but in many cases throughout their entire lives.

Although in certain situations it can be quite easy to see why procrastination occurs, in others the reasons aren’t nearly so obvious.  Putting off opening a credit card statement or opening it but then delaying in calling the credit card company when you realize that you can’t afford to make the payment, for example, typically happens because of fear.  Even putting off the more difficult jobs at work and dealing with the easier ones first can come out of the fear of getting it wrong or not doing well enough.  In all of these examples though, the very act of delaying only stores up even greater problems for the future.

Even in the case of those activities which could potentially bring us joy and success, such as starting a business or writing a book, fear can often be an important factor which contributes to procrastination.  Surprisingly though, it is not just failure that people commonly fear, but success too.  In some cases, there is the feeling deep within the individual that he or she doesn’t deserve to succeed, whereas in others the fear has more to do with the consequences of success and how it might affect their lives and their relationships.  In failing to rise to the challenge, however, those who put off their dreams, sometimes indefinitely, deprive themselves of the opportunity to meet their full potential in life.

The development of skills and strategies to overcome procrastination is something that many of those who choose online coaching are keen to address.  Whether the problem manifests itself in a career sense, a health sense or across all areas of life, executive coaching, business coaching and leadership coaching, health coaching and life coaching respectively can help to equip those who are apt to procrastinate with the tools to move forward confidently and with determination.  With online coaching being such a convenient option, there isn’t even any need to procrastinate in signing up!

Anda Tudor, Life Coach                                                           August 17, 2011

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