Did you know that procrastination is a form of self-sabotage? An article in the October 2011 issue of “Psychology Today” shares, “When it comes to self-sabotage, procrastination is king.” Why does such a harmless behavior such as procrastination merit such an ugly title? There are a myriad of reasons, but for the sake of brevity here are two primary ones.
One, it creates a pattern in us that we begin to believe. We begin to believe that we are procrastinating for a valid reason. So internally that is what we see as happening. Externally, others view your behavior as irrational or irresponsible. That is a misperception gap that can have huge negative implications.
Secondly, when we delay action by procrastinating a very obvious thing happens…we delay action. Mark Twain’s quote about eating the frog first thing in the morning and the rest of the day will be better applies to procrastinators. Whatever you are putting off, for whatever reason, will not be any better if you wait to do it.
The short-term mood repair we gain by procrastinating does not merit the damage that will be done. Procrastination messes up your ability to create and implement through setting strong intentions. It undercuts how people perceive you as a doer and label you as a talker. Procrastination allows your emotions to run wild and leave you subject to whims rather than controlling your day. And while you may think that you are merely putting off one task, the reality is you are completely undermining your ability to set and implement both short and long-term goals.