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procrastination help
Today, I was driving, with our kids, to my brother’s house, to see my nephew on his 4th Birthday! (Between my brother & his wife. and my husband & I, we have kids ages: 6, 5, 4, 2, 1 & 0) 🙂 Just about every age! Anyways, on my way there, I was listening to the Christian radio station and I heard Anne Graham Lotz, an evangelist, speak about procrastination.
She asked: What if Noah had procrastinated when God told him to build the Arc? Think about that for a second. The human race would have been eliminated. What if he “told God he would build the ark but at a time when he felt he was more rested, more capable, when he had had sufficient training, when his financial situation was more stable, when his family was more self-sufficient, when it was just more convenient? If he had had the attitude many of us do when God gives us an assignment that is beyond our ability, he would have been totally exposed in his helplessness and unprepared for the awesome devastation when it struck. Instead of procrastination, Noah obeyed without question or hesitation. Noah did everything just as God commanded him (see Gen. 6:22). What impossible task could you accomplish if you would cooperate with God by obeying His Word?”
How do you feel when you procrastinate? I, personally, hate to put anything “on the back-burner”. It just weighs me down emotionally. It is always on my mind. I will admit that it even makes me “cranky”, knowing that it is just one more thing that I have to do!
Procrastination can affect you the same way if it is something big. like going back to school to get that extra degree, or if it is something small, like doing the laundry. It causes unneeded added stress.
My husband, on the other hand, can just put things off without it bothering him in the slightest! He can walk away from a messy kitchen and just go to bed. I could never do this. I hate going to bed with things being out of place. If he folds a load of laundry, he will fold it and leave it on our bed, in piles (obviously he has not read my post on making laundry easier!). At bedtime, he will just move them onto the bench in our room. Again, this drives me crazy! (I can’t complain too much- he is helping to fold the laundry, after all!)
I read this today online: Everyone procrastinates sometimes, but 20 percent of people chronically avoid difficult tasks and deliberately look for distractions—which, unfortunately, are increasingly available. Procrastinators may say they perform better under pressure, but more often than not that’s their way of justifying putting things off.” I think that is true.
Even small things can weigh us down. A messy home can hinder you in more ways than one. What is really stopping you from cleaning it today? Right now (well- after you finish reading this!)
This picture says a lot, don’t you think?
Image source: davewalkercartoons
My Mom and I were on the phone today, talking about this. She said “Why leave a mess? You are the one that has to go back and clean it later, anyways.” Such a good point. You are doing it. You can either do it now and be done with it, or think about it all day, letting it weigh on you and do it later. Guess what? If you don’t do it today, it will only double tomorrow, leaving you with an even heavier load for your mind to bear.
My friends, Jen M. & Holly H. both plan out their meals out for the week. They get what they need and stick to their meal plans, most days. I am not so good at this! I get so thrown between sports practice and plans that come up and I end up not sticking to my plan. I do, however, try to get most of my cooking done during nap time, because that 5:00 dinner-making-time is chaos in our house! This is my way of not procrastinating. If I procrastinate on cooking our meal because I just don’t feel like it, I will pay for this when 5:00 comes around, when everyone is getting hungry, tired and needing my attention. (One thing that you can do is plan out 5 days worth of meals, buy what you need and then make them on whichever days you pick. You aren’t so “glued” to your meal plan, but still have an idea of what you will make.) Here is a tip on making dinner easier when your kids are with you, needing you.
The same goes for the mornings. If I procrastinate picking out our clothes the night before, our morning pays for it. It is rushed and stressful and hurried.
I can really apply this to any situation: procrastinate on the dishwasher and your dishes will pile up in the sink, which will then lead to the counter, which is just making the kitchen a mess.
Procrastinate on studying and you will not do well on your test.
Image Source: everydayhealth
I try to take my Dad’s view on it: “Inch by Inch, its a cinch. Yard by yard, its hard.” If you have a big project, do a little at a time & get it done.
You can stop procrastinating with a few tips:
-Picture the end result
-Give the job to someone else (ask someone for help or hire someone to do it for you)
– Get the worst job out of the way, because that is probably the one causing you the most stress.
– Give yourself a pat on the back (or a special reward) when you complete the job. Example: “I will take my family out to eat when this job is done.”
When thinking about doing what you are avoiding, remember that the time will pass either way. A year from now you will either have accomplished none of your big goals or you will be well on your way. Either way, in 12 months, it will still be a year from now. What will you have done with your time?
If you are looking for more resources on this, you can get these books for 31 cents each, but only until midnight on May 4th! They will be so helpful!
Procrastination can be wrapped up into one quote- why you should not procrastinate: If you don’t have time for it today, what makes you think you will have time to do it tomorrow.
