The Heart In The Hustle

I have always been interested in psychology. Understanding the mind and how it works. Noticing behaviors and patterns. Identifying habits. Cause and effect. I have a natural gift for recognizing emotion. I am highly sensitive to feelings; even when someone tries to hide them. Because of my natural desire to help people and to understand their needs, I have cherished this God-given gift; even when the emotion I take on is painful. It is never enough just to feel someone’s joy, pain, passion, or fear. Emotions are rooted. They are a lifetime of events that have molded a person to react in that particular way. The only way to better your understanding is to listen. You need to find where it stems from. What contributed to causing the mind to attach its experience to that emotion?

I have been approached by several people recently who have admitted that they have trouble accomplishing things because of procrastination. So, I have been listening and comparing my notes of the similarities and the differences. What I found was that there were too many variables…but emotion, whether active or reactive, played a part.

Procrastination is typically labeled as an act of delaying what requires immediate attention.

It has even been suggested, based on definition, that procrastination is considered a mental health disorder.

However, I have observed that procrastination is a developed coping mechanism that all people suffer from. It is really a symptom and not a diagnosis. It is not the cause, but the effect. A reaction.

People procrastinate for many reasons. It does not always signify laziness.

Some may procrastinate because a task is stressful and they just don’t want the added frustration. Some people procrastinate because they refuse to start something that they cannot finish immediately. Some do so because they feel the need to focus solely on the task at hand without distraction.

Some actively choose to procrastinate because of the time it requires. They put it off till they can devote time, but the time never seems to be available. They place things by priority of what they can or cannot complete at the moment.

Procrastination is tied a lot to emotions. How you are feeling and where your mind is at can effect everything you do. Emotions can consume your thoughts, distract your focus and cause you to quit before you start.

To get to the core of why someone is falling to procrastination, is to determine the person’s task load, environment, and emotional state.

The basic questions to ask are:

• Do you have a checklist of tasks?
• Do your tasks have deadlines, requirements, or prerequisites?
• Are they listed by priority?
• Are they grouped by goal?
• Do you know how much time is needed to complete them?
• What are you doing in the moment? Are you distracted?
• How are you feeling? (Important)

The goal here is analysis. Not everyone thinks alike. Some people allow pressures of outside sources to dictate whether they are being productive or not…but we all have different sized feet…steps and leaps may take longer or require a different approach. Their priorities may be different than someone else’s opinion. They may be dealing with physical pain or mental stress that has them feeling weak.

I have realized that no one truly knows all that is required of another. You can try to explain all that you are experiencing or the many things overwhelming you but they can’t feel it’s effects on you. Mental health is just as important as physical health. A motivated mind can do amazing things but a troubled one can do damage. The recovery takes much longer to repair than the task itself.

Progression is still progression…learning is still education…steps are still movement. You are already more equipped than you were yesterday.

Big dreams and lofty goals don’t get completed instantly. Don’t set yourself up to be disappointed for not being able to reach it overnight. Set some smaller milestones leading up to the finish line.

There is power in the checklist. That simple checkmark or strike-through can be just what you need. The feeling of accomplishment after completing a task is what drives us to take on another.

Evaluate your tasks and your time. Which are necessary and which are voluntary? Try to take on the tasks that require the most effort when you have the most physical and mental energy. Pray for peace and direction.

Take a quick evaluation of what is happening to you in the moments that procrastination becomes an issue. Maybe it’s that you are stressed, maybe you are overwhelmed, maybe other’s opinions are pressuring you, maybe your environment isn’t positive, or maybe you are feeling down. It all comes from something or somewhere and is affecting your mental state. The answer to battling procrastination is not universal…it’s custom made. It depends on you.

Find your happy place. Excitement is fuel! Take a moment to let the joy in. You will be amazed at how much you can accomplish. Don’t be too hard on yourself. Only you know your limitations. One step at a time. Consider what can be done that provides the most impact. Whatever you accomplish today will be less stress on you tomorrow.

Consistency is the solution. Any steps you make toward where you want to go will get you closer to success. It doesn’t matter how small…it only matters that you move.

It doesn’t have to be a struggle. As long as you keep walking..you will find the finish line.