It's Not Fear of Success. It's Not Fear of Failure. It's Not Laziness. Necessarily...
So what is it? Is it resistance to anything new? A new concept, a change in routine? Getting out of your comfort zone? Is it overwhelm?
Been trying to figure out just what it is really that prevents people from taking action. What's the Achilles heel that impedes progress and paralyzes us?
We have all succumbed to procrastination at one time or another, and sometimes we deal with it on a consistent basis. It doesn't feel good when it happens. It feels perfectly awful, especially when you add guilt to the mix.
Is it always a debilitating BAD habit? What good purpose can it serve? Does procrastination have a productive side, a creative side? Is it protective? Seems like a contradiction in terms, but not really when you think about it.
Why would anyone delay their own good? Masochism maybe? Are you hexing yourself?
Yes, all those things are reasonable explanations, and they are all true. It's just not the whole story. That's too easy.
If it can be accepted that not all procrastination is to avoid pain, maybe we can entertain a creative, unconscious reason for some forms of procrastination. What is it telling us about ourselves?
Why would you not start something immediately if you have time and the conditions are right? Who wouldn't accept being an overnight success when given the option?
Could it be that you don't have all you need? What could you possibly need that you don't have?
Are you emotionally committed?... Not like a robot, steps one, two, and three. I mean are you really sold on what you are doing, approaching your project with real passion and joy? It's not supposed to be work, even though it requires your input. It's you, from you and of you. If it isn't that, then it's boring and why would you want to do it?
I'm not wanting to throw water on the fire of yours or my own zeal. Just pointing out that the spark of an idea becomes a bright, glowing, crackling, blazing bonfire only through emotional commitment and passion. So I'm suggesting an attitude adjustment or to change the essential idea to one that inspires you more.
Also, procrastination might happen because you haven't finished thinking your plan through. Outlines happen in your brain first. You see it in your mind's eye, how the pieces fit together. Then you take physical action and the plan always changes because it has to, ideas are dynamic. Static is dead. Don't fear the change. It's natural.
Whenever one is learning something completely new, frustration is part of it. I watched my sister this morning with Pinterest. She had some problems pinning and was very frustrated. I identify with her regarding the frustration of hitting blocks.
I think one of the big reasons people don't start is because they fear the inevitable frustration of getting stuck on something and not knowing what to do.
The good news is we all have the option of asking Kyle and Carson and fellow members here at WA if we get stymied and hit roadblocks along the way.
What the heck, get it going. Let the good times roll.
For some it will be a fear of failing, for some a fear of success. For others it will be a fear of appearing "stupid" in front of some knowledgeable people. No matter what it is it is still fear.
This is where sites like WA can really excel. There are newbies here who know absolutely nothing and must begin at the beginning. There are old timers who have "been there, done that". And then there are those who have had some success but are still not where they want to be. We all can learn from one another
Achievements start with dreams. Dreams help you to form goals. Goals help you to form a plan. Plans help you to take action. If you are afraid of taking action then step back and look at your goals. Have you set them yet? What is your dream?
Everyone starts somewhere and everyone does things that could make them look "stupid" to someone else more experienced. Guess what? That person did the same thing. It is a learning process. Don't stop reaching for your dreams because of some fear.
commitment will get results. We're all prey to this nonsense. Thank you for dropping by and adding your thoughts.
Just tunnel through the learning process. May look like a maze at first, but that'll change, and your ideas will take shape. You have so much company.
Don't let it throw you. Think about it. It's like going to the farmer's market for strawberries and you come home with tomatoes. Did you fail because you have tomatoes and not strawberries?
The exposure will ignite your own ideas. You don't know where this experience will lead you. Like all education, learning opens your mind. You'll figure out what will work for you in due time. Listen to what Kyle said about failure. That should be encouraging.
Thanks for your insightful feedback.
I've pondered my own proclivities to procrastinate long and hard, and I finally had to admit to myself something that I rarely hear people mention, or discuss - Fear of Success.
The concept of success can be very daunting for some of us. If, like me, you are commitment-phobic, the end result is a circular thought pattern that resonates like a Yoga chant: "What if I succeed? If I succeed, I'll have to commit to furthering my own success. If I have to further my own success, then I'll have to commit." It's a mental merry-go-around that takes incredible force of will to conquer.
Just a thought - worth considering....or not.
Those that succeed fear what failing to act would look like. I know this is true for me, I fear what will happen if I stop being in constant motion and becoming complacent. Because of this I get to fail all the time, which is fine with me because all my failures are collective learning experiences and become assets to my skill set.
I think people tend to make excuses, the most common one being "I have no time". Everybody has time, regardless of your situation. What it comes down to is time allocation and replacing things you do (which you think are important but really aren't, within things that will lead to a better life).
My thoughts...
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We are all in a state of unknowns, it just depends on your perspective.
keep going.
