My honest and humbling truth … every goal I didn’t meet in 2018 was the result of one reason and one person alone – me, myself, and I – along with that pesky debilitating problem that we have all had at one point or another…
Procrastination.
This epiphany came to me a few days ago when I realized it was the end of another year (I know that should have been pretty obvious for a while) and I still had not finished an important personal project I started many months ago (many as in about six).
I started the project with so much excitement, knowing I had the skills needed to complete it with no problem. It was something that I wanted to do for myself and be able to share with others. I actually finished 95% of the project within the first month of starting it.
Yet there I sat, staring at it once again as I had done every day since, feeling nauseous at the idea of actually finishing it. I realized I made every excuse under the sun for months as to why I hadn’t had time to complete it (I’m pretty sure I always said I was just too busy working and being a mom).
In fact, it’s not the only project I started and did not finish. It was one of about a dozen! In addition, these projects were not just started in 2018. There were many started in the years prior. I also noticed a task list about a mile long that I hadn’t made a dent in yet. Surely I must have been wrong. I must have finished at least a few of these right?
Wrong…
Now let’s be clear here, I am no doctor and I’ve never studied anything in the medical field (with the exception of some psychology courses), but even I could clearly see I had become a problem to myself. I had been standing in my own way all year as well as the years before.
There’s one word for this and it began flashing like a strobe light in the forefront of my mind, taunting me to the point of anger – procrastination. Whether it’s by choice or there is something going on with me mentally, it was suddenly very clear I had become a master at procrastination.
It’s a hard truth to swallow, but it’s 100% real. If I had not allowed myself to continuously procrastinate with every goal and task I set, everything I set out to do would have been a success! Everything!
I can set as many goals as I want on Jan. 1 of every single year, but until I get out of my own way, I will NEVER meet them!! This is my truth and fixing this is my new, and only, resolution for 2019!
Looking back at your year and examining the root cause of the failures of each goal you didn’t meet, are you noticing now that you are also struggling with the same problem? When I realized this is my problem, I started researching articles to help me kick this problem to the curb and I learned it is actually more common of a problem than I thought.
There are a ton of good books and information online regarding how to stop allowing yourself to fall into the procrastination trap. I don’t know about you, but I fully intend to research this issue further and adapt some advice I can practically apply to my life.
Here are five tips I’ve already started to incorporate:
1) Give goals deadlines and break them down into manageable smaller versions. I already have my goals written down. As a matter of fact, I usually copy and paste them onto my agenda from day to day and year to year which is not healthy. So, the first thing I am doing is breaking these down into meaningful pieces and giving these goals deadlines for completion.
2) Write down how I will feel in a year from now if I do not meet each of my goals. In doing this, it will help me to harness the fear that tends to prohibit my progress.
3) Build accountability. I usually don’t share my goals with anyone so I have no one to hold me accountable for reaching them. By telling those close to me what I want to achieve, they can help me by simply reminding me of the bar I set and why.
4) Reward myself for each met goal. Setting a reward for the completion of each met goal is more motivation for reaching that point. A little celebration – a day off, a night out, a movie, etc. – will give me that added kick to get it done.
5) Set time limits around my social media usage. For me, social media is a huge distraction. It is so easy to pick up my phone and get lost in another world when I just don’t want to do the task at hand. Every little ding from my phone makes me want to grab it and next thing I know, I have wasted two hours doing nothing I actually needed to do. It is definitely a big problem for me. To remedy this, I will set times and time limits for checking social media and I will turn off all notifications when I am working on any goal or task.
I am just getting started on my new resolution and I have a long way to go to make sure that I do not fail, but being able to see and admit that I have been my biggest obstacle is a tremendous first step. I now know exactly what I must do if I want to meet my goals and ensure that 2019 is one of my best years!!
My hope is that anyone who reads this and realizes they are also their biggest road block, is able to take something useful from this information and make 2019 one of their best years as well!
Happy New Year everyone!!!!
