Procrastinators get the message from every which direction that they should:

• “just get it done”
• “just hand it in”
• “just get it over with”
• “just put your nose to the grindstone”
• “not worry so much about it”
• “not be such a fusser”

From the outside, it would seem that the Procrastinator is making a big deal out of a small sack of potatoes.  I think this, if true, is only part of the explanation of why Procrastinators delay doing what they should be doing.

Chronic Procrastinators have travelled a long journey to the point where they feel powerless to change their patterns of behavior (or lack of behavior).

They may have been downsized in many categories, including:

• self-confidence
• capacity to see reality
• ability to absorb information due to high levels of stress
• self-esteem
• ability to communicate effectively or openly or at all
• not being as connected to others socially

How do we break the downsizing pattern?  Here are a few suggestions:

Don't drag the past into your current view.  I cannot emphasize this point enough. When we repeatedly bring what we haven't done or what we regret into our present circumstances, we force ourselves to start each day working with a negative, burdened mindset.  Teach yourself, starting today, how to avoid thinking about the past when you are trying to focus on getting anything done in the present moment.  The past will always be there for you to remember.  You do not need to torture yourself with it every time you set out to act.

Don't envision yourself as being any less than any one else.   In our society, where so much is made of what we wear, what we own, and what we do for a living, we can easily forget that all of those externally measurable concepts do not actually make us any less than or any more than anyone else.  As you begin your recovery from Procrastination, remember you are as in this game of life as the next person.  Begin to play.  Don't start three steps behind unless there is a really, really good reason.

If you observe yourself closing down any one (or several) of your senses, stop!  If you find yourself denying what you see, hear, or sense, take a breath and consider what is causing you to shut yourself down.  Is it fatigue?  Frustration?  Embarrassment?  Feelings of overwhelm?  Whatever it might be, you can come back to your full senses.  You won't be doing yourself or anyone else any good by staying trapped in long-term denial.

Grow one step at a time.  You didn't downsize yourself overnight.  It will take a while for you to move back into your full form and to take your full speed.  Take it slow, but always determine which actions will keep you moving forward. Avoid pressuring yourself too much.  It took me years of back-and-forth practice in pushing myself past my doubts and insecurities before I started moving forward more smoothly again.

Try to differentiate the pressures that you experience from the demands of the work you need to get done. Chances are the work you are needing to accomplish does not require you to suffer or to shut down.  Give it a try.  Give it a go.  Best wishes to you.