Why do we put things off?

Do you remember revising for your exams at school? Were you someone who started your revision a few weeks or even months ahead, or did you leave it until the night before? For most people, an external time limit helps us get things done. When we delay something, we are usually procrastinating. This also coincides with a situation where there is no limit on the timescale we need to achieve it by.

At the beginning of a new year, we might decide to create a new routine or change a bad habit. We feel an initial buzz of excitement and tell ourselves we're really going to achieve it this time. We start off with good intentions and are enthusiastic about making changes. However, the hard truth is it's difficult to transform our old ways and bad habits through sheer willpower alone. We might go to the gym every day for a week or stick to a new diet for 7 days and feel very proud of our achievements. We pat ourselves on the back and vow to continue.

However, a few days or perhaps a week later, we begin to notice some unwelcome thoughts creeping in.

They are voices in our heads, like tiny whispers, but they don't go away easily.

The voices might say things like:

 “Get it done now, don't leave it until tomorrow “

“No one will know if you don’t do it”

“ It’s only one biscuit. It won’t make much difference.”

"It's hopeless. You're not even trying"

These conflicting voices will try and sabotage our best efforts. We begin to notice our willpower is beginning to drain away. We might decide to ignore the conflicting thoughts and internal voices and to carry on.

But often the invasive thoughts get louder, and we find that we are overwhelmed and exhausted by trying. We might also notice that a part of us is trying to sabotage our best efforts. To counteract the internal conflict, we might build muscle strength by hiring a personal trainer, lose weight by joining Weight Watchers or find an executive coach. We need an external person to keep us on track.

Let me share more with you about what’s going on with this procrastination pattern from a different perspective. I am trained in Logosynthesis®, and this method of working with procrastination helps us see what's actually happening on the inside. Procrastination has four different (and competing) PARTS that will try to pull us in different directions. Dr Willem Lammers is the founder of Logosynthesis® and he has named them here-

The computer

The parrot,

The rebel

The servant

The COMPUTER is all about information. It's rational and logical. It knows the consequences if we don’t get the task done. It speaks in third person and says things like "this is the task” and "this is how it has to be done.” The computer knows all the steps and who else we need to involve.

The PARROT represents power and authority. It tells us what to do. It speaks but cannot act. It gives us a command. It might have a specific tone of voice when it says something like “ you should have completed that task ages ago.” It also uses words like " you must, " you have to, " " you should have” etc. The parrot is always right and often sounds like one of our parents.

Next comes the REBEL. The rebel works in opposition to the parrot. It will act as long as it’s not seen. It uses its power to distract and can be rather sly. It might say something like, “ I’m going to do what I want, ” or " You deserve to have that now. "

Finally, the SERVANT arrives to complete the task and DO THE JOB. It will obey the authority of the parrot. The servant wants respect and to be seen. It is afraid of failure and gets anxious. It works rather like a robot.

ASK YOURSELF:-

What sort of things does my parrot say?

What tone of voice does it have?

Does this remind me of anyone?

How does my rebel show up?

What is its favourite strategy?

As the deadline looms closer, the parrot escalates, the rebel gives up, and the servant gets the work done.

This all takes up so much time and energy!!

THE SOLUTION

We can use Logosynthesis to track down and release the energy caught up in the parrot and the rebel. This is stored in the amydala in the brain and is not helpful to us. Once the old beliefs and parental messages have gone, it becomes possible to access your Free Self. Now we can get on with the task. We have the freedom to act, create and be productive. We can move forward with much more ease.

If you want to know more about how Logosynthesis® can help you with procrastination and any other areas of your life where you feel stuck check out my Logosynthesis page.