Procrastination - The Monkey On Your Back

11/1/2015

It's an almost typical Sunday morning. I woke up pleased with myself for "sleeping in". After all it was almost eight and every day I'm usually up around 6:30 - 7:00 am. I was at the computer doing an "inventory" of things on my mind for a Sunday Morning Reflections post when I saw the clock on the monitor...oops - I forgot to turn the clocks back.

It honestly doesn't make any difference because I love writing on Sunday mornings, but somebody tell me why I suddenly felt tired when I saw that it was 6:55 am? LOL

One of the things that got me up earlier than necessary was a project I want to get done that I've been procrastinating about. I know I talk a good game about making decisions quickly; not missing opportunities and staying focused, but life simply gets in the way. Even that's a lame excuse for putting things off.

Procrastination is one of the most common and deadliest of diseases
and its toll on success and happiness is heavy.
Wayne Gretsky

Here's my point this morning. The minute you start to procrastinate about doing a particular task, you put a "monkey on your back." That monkey sits there and slowly starts taking pleasure away from other things you enjoy doing. It's constantly whispering in your ear reminding you that you still can't relax.

Then, it starts to grow. It gets louder and heavier to carry because every time you do something that's simply frivolous and fun, the monkey gets in the way.

How to kill the monkey!

Prioritize the list of things you need to get done.
Keep the list where you can see it all the time. For me, I love my whiteboard because I'm constantly updating my list. It feels good when I cross something off the list that's completed.
Knock off the "low-hanging" fruit. That means, go after the easy things that can help change business or revenue and can be quickly implemented.
Ask for help! This one is the hardest for me because I'm a terrible delegator. I think I have to do everything myself. I rationalize that it's easier for me just to do, than explain to somebody how they can help me.
And, when you miss something or just don't do it as quickly as you should have, don't "should" on yourself. Stop beating yourself up for missing a beat now and then. You can't ask for more, even of yourself, than just doing the best you can do.

It's a short post this morning, but one that's managed to get me to stop procrastinating on one of the key projects I want to get done this week. It's going to be a practice-what-I-preach kind of day.

One thing to not procrastinate about, no matter what time it is on the clocks in your house - hug somebody special in your life. Don't put it off letting anything get in the way. Enjoy the day without the monkey on your back. It isn't procrastination when you take needed time off to just appreciate everything in your life, especially those people most important to you.

Wishing everybody a terrific Sunday!

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Skip Cohen is President of SCU, founder of Marketing Essentials International and past president of Rangefinder Publishing and WPPI. He's been an active participant in the photographic industry since joining Hasselblad USA in 1987 as president. He has co-authored six books on photography and actively supports dozens of projects each year involving photographic education.