Chapter 1 Understanding Procrastination

You are well aware of the tasks that await you.

Your to-do list is prepared, and the priorities are clearly marked.

You have devised a strategy for tackling everything that requires your attention.

Yet, you still find yourself making no progress.

What is the root of this issue?

Why do you struggle to follow through on your plans?

If these thoughts resonate with you, rest assured that you are not alone.

What you are experiencing is a severe case of procrastination, a phenomenon I call the Art of Embracing Inconsistent Progress.

Procrastination can be described as the act of delaying or deferring tasks.

Have you ever postponed something important?

Have you ever thought, “I’ll take care of that later,” only to find that “later” has turned into “whenever I can”?

You are not alone in this journey, my friend.

According to "Solving Procrastination," the urge to delay is often far stronger than the impulse to take action.

It can feel much simpler to postpone a task than to tackle it head-on.

This is a common experience:

We often place a metaphorical band-aid over the significant issues in our lives without fully understanding why we do it.

Remember, you are not alone in this struggle.

If you check my Medium stories page, you’ll notice it has been a while since my last post.

The irony is that I had just been accepted into the Medium Partner Program, which should have motivated me to write more consistently!

I often find myself halting my efforts just when I start making real progress.

Perhaps you have experienced something similar.

As Amyra Mah from Tiny Buddha suggests,

we risk damaging our self-worth by believing we are inherently flawed and beyond help.

Such thinking can disconnect us from the sources of joy and love in our lives.

We might retreat from what constitutes growth, fearing what lies ahead.

Often, we make errors that we perceive as irreparable.

However, these notions are misleading.

We frequently craft excuses in our minds as a means to escape the situations we find ourselves in.

You might not recognize it, but you may have grown comfortable in your discomfort.

You complain about your circumstances, yet when faced with the prospect of progress, you instinctively resist.

You may even conjure up scenarios that aren’t real, leading to further procrastination.

An insightful article from Boise State delves into strategies for overcoming procrastination.

One key takeaway for me was:

identify the next specific step needed to move forward, and then take it.

We tend to view tasks from a broad perspective, which can be daunting.

Instead, focus on achieving “small wins.”

Rather than fixating on the overall picture, concentrate on one specific action.

What is one step you can take to advance?

What is one task that can help you move forward?

When you consider tasks from a grounded perspective, you often create excuses for not acting.

The request feels overwhelming, leading you to defer it.

Weeks, months, or even years may pass before you realize that the task remains undone.

Don't allow procrastination to steal your peace of mind.

Take charge and start accomplishing your goals.

Chapter 2 Strategies to Combat Procrastination

This video, titled Don't Worry About Inconsistent Results in Art, discusses the importance of embracing inconsistencies in your creative journey and how to navigate through them.

The second video, Why You're Inconsistent (And What to Do About It), offers insights into understanding the roots of your inconsistency and actionable tips to address it.