Decision-making is a process. From the moment the issue presents itself, to sorting through the issue, and up until making a final decision, there’s a process. Procrastination ruins the process.
Procrastination is a thief. It robs a situation of its potential to be easier and well-thought-out. Procrastination causes panic, poor choices, and settling for less. Procrastination shortens the process and eliminates important aspects because there’s no more time to figure things out.
How the process works:
When an important decision needs to be made, it takes time and energy to sort out the issues and research the proper decision. Under the best circumstances, you can do your homework, consult someone, and meet with your family to come to a conclusion in a reasonable amount of time. Allowing plenty of time to figure things out generally leads to a sound decision that is the best under the circumstances.
How procrastination works:
When an important decision needs to be made, putting things off compounds the stress when you finally make the decision. Procrastination doesn’t leave any room for homework, consultation, or consensus and buy-in. Procrastination leads to tight deadlines and making rash decisions that can lead to crisis down the line.
Tips for avoiding procrastination:
Tip #1. Refuse to procrastinate: If you take procrastination off the table entirely, you are ahead of the game. Refusing to procrastinate as a value system helps keep it from happening. In all you do, refuse to procrastinate and it won’t be a default action for you.
Tip #2. Get support: People procrastinate for a lot of reasons. Having someone to be accountable to and share your fears with can eliminate procrastination. Some things appear much bigger in our heads than they are in reality. Sharing your fears about making a decision can help solve any problems and allow you to begin the process for making decisions.
Tip #3. Do something every day: Some decisions feel huge. The lack of information and the enormity of the decision can make it loom large. It’s no wonder people procrastinate. Doing one thing each day to tackle the process can spread the work out over time. It can also build the stamina you need to sort out the decision and make the best one.
Procrastination ruins the decision-making process. It robs you of time and resources to make the best decision possible. Get a handle on procrastination and eliminate it from your behaviors so you can make decisions easier and quicker.
