2 Ways Procrastination Could be Ruining Your Life

People tend to think procrastination is very personal. That avoiding and putting off tasks is a solitary decision and doesn’t affect much other than creating a time crunch. This couldn’t be further from the truth. Procrastination affects us…and others, in profound ways. Actually, procrastination has the potential to ruin your life.

Procrastination is much more than putting things off until the last moment. As a matter of fact, many men and women seek counseling for issues like

• Marital stress

• Anxiety

• Depression

• Work-force issues

• Substance abuse

and

• Disorders like ADHD

only to discover the root cause is often procrastination.

You see, when most people procrastinate, they aren’t putting the tasks they need to complete out of their minds. More often than not, they are thinking about those tasks non-stop. The constant ruminating about what needs to be done can cause stress, anxiety, and more.

Even if procrastinators aren’t thinking about what they are putting off, their families and co-workers are which can also create problems including mistrust, loss of respect, and worse, Let’s take a look-

Procrastination Can Impact Your Relationships

Under many circumstances, procrastination can affect your interpersonal relationships. If you tend to avoid tasks or put them off it can cause problems for other people. When it comes to work, your team may face delays when you don’t meet deadlines. Your family may feel let down when you fail to meet commitments. Even though procrastination may feel like it doesn’t impact others, it very often does.

Many of the reasons people procrastinate are tied to deep-seated beliefs and thoughts that hold them back. Many of the typical traits procrastinators share include:

• Low self-esteem

• Fear of rejection or abandonment

• Harsh inner dialogue

• Difficulty with change

• Easily frustrated

• Rebellious against authority

• Poor concentration skills

• Prefer instant gratification

These thoughts and feelings often drive procrastination and lead to distress at work and at home.

Procrastination Can Impact Your Income

If you work for someone else, procrastination can threaten your employment. Procrastination can affect your co-worker’s productivity and increase their workload. If you work for yourself, procrastination can affect your ability to make important business decisions as well as cost you sales and customers. If you happen to work for yourself, it may be harder to prevent procrastination since there isn’t anyone preventing you from putting things off.

It's important to stop procrastinating and rebuild and maintain trust and confidence. Being proactive can increase the health of your relationships and help you build and manage your wealth.