1. MAGNITUDE OF A PROJECT:

I am sure a lot you of have experienced this at one point in your life and some of you still do, including me. According to psychology reports, when we visualize the size of a project, we tend to postpone embarking on it. For instance, a writer who has a grand idea about a book to write, when he looks at the number of impact it’s going to make, the amount of works that needed to be put into it and basically everything it takes to write a great book, might not be too ecstatic about starting to write.

I SOLUTION: BREAK IT DOWN INTO PARTS

Few a years ago, what I wrote above was how used to avoid any project i found massive. But now, I get around a seemingly daunting project by simply breaking it down into different sizeable parts. From the biggest parts to smallest. This will enable you view the different parts as a task on their own and finishing one will propel or motivate you to move to the next one. Next time you have a dream that seems big for you to accomplish, break it down. Then you can thank me later.

2. LACK OF SELF DISCIPLINE

Discipline is your ability to do what needs to be done, when it needs to be done, when you don’t want to do it. Whatever we become -whether good or bad- or how far we go in life can be linked to self-discipline and how much we are able to delay gratification.

SOLUTION: WALK THROUGH THE DOORS

Walk through the door. That’s it. The best way to deal with lack of discipline is to walk through the door. This means cutting out whatever stands in your way. Yours could be excessive time on social media or watching too much of TV instead of doing something worthwhile. If this sounds like you, disconnect the Internet until you’re done with task at hand. Someone said nothing can be written on a laptop with an internet.

3. LAZINESS

We all feel lazy sometimes. In fact, it’s humane to feel lazy sometimes. You know, wanting to not do anything. To not engage in any stressful task. But this is either because we feel we’ve done enough for the time or the day, therefore we have earned our rights to lounge around and just do nothing.

SOLUTION: CHECK OUT THE DO-SOMETHING PRINCIPLE

The do-something principle simply means taking the minutest step. You want to clean your room? Take out the garbage first. You would find yourself doing more.

You want to work on that project? Start with a word on your computer screen. A very prolific writer was recently asked how he was able to have written up to seventy novels. He said it’s simple. All he had to do was forcing himself to write some 200 words daily. He won’t stop at that, he would go on to write more. But the trick is to build momentum for the job ahead.

4. IDENTITY PROBLEM

I am sure you never thought of it before, but the reason why you have not made some life changing decisions is because making it threatens your identity. A successful bachelor might delay getting married because, well, getting married threatens his identity as a bachelor. He would be a married man and he will be expected to live as such.

A lot of people would share with me their dreams of becoming an X, Y and Z. But because people will now start calling them the X, Y and Z. Someone I know has a lifelong passion for music. She dreams that one day her song would be played everywhere, but this my friend is a law student. The thought of being seen as a singer/lawyer numbs that thought every time it came to her head.

SOLUTION: WE’LL, DO WHAT AM ABOUT TO TELL YOU

This kind of problem might be hard to knock off. It is hard because unlike your others, your reasons for indulging in this kind of procrastination sounds very valid. Another thing is, it consists of every kind of procrastination you can think of.I

The danger here is, you will think your reasons are valid. But it’s just your mind playing tricks on you. You need a high level of self-awareness to know this is exactly why pushing diving in to follow that life-long dream.

If you are lucky enough to have found out, the next thing is to take action.

Nice one