Personal development is a challenging and oftentimes a very lonely journey that requires consistent effort and dedication. Duh, we all know that don’t we?
However, many people find themselves unprepared for the journey ahead and start procrastinating when it comes to taking steps towards their dream goals. It sounds very boring, but there are obvious reasons why many of us are struggling.
Let’s dive deep to explore the reasons behind procrastination and how you can help yourself to avoid this sinking loop.
1. Fear of Failure
Yes, yes and yes!
Listen, everyone know this and yet majority keep falling into this trap over and over again. It seems contagious that many deliberately hold themselves back from doing what they want because:
- they are afraid of criticism,
- they don’t want to fail and look foolish in the eyes of others.
Let me tell you this: “many don’t care! They will forget about your failure and move on with their lives as soon as possible because they have other things to think and worry about!”
So, the only person you’re failing is YOURSELF!
Perhaps, you should try reframing failure as a learning opportunity and consider it as feedback to improve and instead, focus on the potential rewards of taking action.
And remember, once you reach your old age lying on your deathbed you would be facing yourself and remembering everything you’d done and wanted to do but didn’t, but it would be too late to change anything. What will happen? You will feel guilty and start having regrets.
So, my encouragement is for you to go out there and try as many new things as possible and allow yourself to fail by focusing on doing activities and work that brings your joy, satisfaction and pleasure! No guilt and regrets please.
2. Lack of Clarity and Direction
Another important reason of why people procrastinate in their personal growth is a lack of clarity and direction.
How many times you’ve started projects and tasks and give up on them half-way through? Well, I’ve been there many times and what about you?
It’s hard to make progress when you don’t know where you’re going or what you want to achieve. So, you need a plan with a vision defining your journey from destination A to B. And your end outcome must excite you so much that you’re willing to keep going forward even in a matter of adversity.
Have you got a plan and a clear vision?
3. Overwhelm and Perfectionism
Overwhelm and perfectionism are two common reasons why people procrastinate in their personal growth and development. I know about this too well, because I’m a recovering perfectionist.
When you feel overwhelmed, it’s easy to become paralysed and not take any action at all. You freeze and want to throw in a towel because you’ve allowed yourself to take on too much when deep down…you knew that you shouldn’t had.
Similarly, when you strive for perfection, you may never feel like you’re ready to take the next step. Everything needs to get polished, all these tiny details must be finalised…oh wait you cannot send the report to a client yet, because you’ve forgotten to add a full stop or the color of headline doesn’t match your mood…I know!
To overcome these obstacles, break down your goals into smaller, more manageable tasks. Start saying NO, in fact say NO to everything if it’s not helping you move closer to your desired outcome. Many things are simply distractions on your way and can be easily avoided.
4. Negative Self-Talk and Limiting Beliefs
Negative self-talk and limiting beliefs are another common reason why people procrastinate in their personal growth and development. When you constantly tell yourself that you’re not good enough or that you’ll never be able to achieve your goals, or perhaps tomorrow is a better day and you will feel more up for it…the list can go on, but the point is this…
…it’s easy to become discouraged and give up before you even start. You’ve just convinced yourself that you’re rubbish and keep doing it constantly when you listen to your negative self-talk by finding validation for beliefs that don’t serve you.
To overcome this, you need to challenge your negative self-talk and limiting beliefs by asking yourself if they’re really true. Are they? Or you’re making yourself believe so? Perhaps, you’re influenced by other people? You need to understand this and answer honestly to these questions.
Replace them with positive statements about yourself and your capabilities by focusing on your accomplishments. Remember, you are capable of achieving great things.
5. Lack of Accountability and Support
Final reason why people procrastinate in their personal development is the lack of accountability and support. Yes, it’s obvious thing, but so very true.
It’s easy to put off taking action when you don’t have anyone holding you accountable or supporting you along the way. For many, we need to start by assessing our environment. Are those around us uplift and support us, or judge and put us down?
This is especially true when it comes to making changes that may be uncomfortable or challenging. Without someone there to provide encouragement and help you stay on track, it’s easy to fall back into old habits and patterns.
To overcome this, consider finding an accountability partner or joining a support group. For better, quicker and more personalised results, find yourself a mentor or trainer and work with them together to achieve your goals. Having someone to check in with and provide support can make all the difference in staying motivated and making progress towards your personal development goals.
Let us know how you’re dealing with procrastination and what strategies you’re using to overcome it?
Fore more personal development articles you can read the following:
1. How To Develop Self Awareness If You Want To Grow And Find Fulfillment
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