Information Country

1. From your own view, what is procrastination?

Procrastination is a form of emotional, mental and behavioral inertia. From physics the word “inertia” represents the tendency for an object to remain at rest or resist being moved. Procrastination is the inertia an individual experiences when they need to accomplish a given task. It can manifest as an inability to think about the task clearly, the inability to summon up any desire to undertake the task and an inability to actually accomplish the task physically.

Another way of putting it is that the individual feels they must put more energy into doing something than they are willing to put into it, hence it doesn’t get done. As a result there is a sort of energy threshold that must be overcome by the individual.

In cases (Case (A)) of procrastination often the task has to do with something that the individual themselves really, in their heart of hearts, doesn’t want to do themselves rather which is being expected or imposed by others. More commonly (Case (B)) it is a resistance to doing something that they truly want themselves to achieve. I will label theses two as separate cases (A) and (B) respectively.

2. What do you think the (main) factors that cause it are? How?

In Case (A) the main factors causing procrastination result from the unwillingness of the individual to do something that is not desired by them internally. Hence the procrastination is a way of the individual attempting to assert control over a situation in the only way they can. It is very much like saying to the “powers that be” “No I Don’t Want To Do This”.

In Case (B) this situation is somewhat more complex. When an individual is unable to muster up the energy to do something they really want for themselves it’s often because they are being undermined by some sort of fear that they are carrying within themselves. For instance the fear of making a mistake, the fear of failing, the fear of being disappointed, the fear of being criticized or judged, the fear of success and so on. These fears essentially undermine the individual’s confidence, their self esteem, and their self worth, depletes their energy and makes them feel so inadequate and unable to be in charge of their life that they essentially give up trying. This is a very serious situation if it persists for too long because then it can become a “way of life” that is it can become habitual and as you know some habits are hard to break when they have persisted for too long.

3. What are your past experiences with procrastination?

Procrastination as in case (B) is often fed by a history of emotional, mental and physical trauma in one’s early life. Almost everyone I know whether they wish to admit it or not has experienced some trauma. Hence some degree of procrastination lives in everyone. Those individuals who wind up seeking help often have been so paralyzed by fears of living a full life (also a definition of procrastination in case (B)) that they cannot function well or at all. Yes, many individuals, you could say have this problem.

4. Should procrastination be taken lightly (ignored)? Why or why not?

In case (A) it is important for the powers that be attempt to understand why an individual might not want to do what is expected of them. It is through understanding and empathy for that individual’s desires that one can support and nurture that individual’s self esteem and self confidence. Simply forcing someone to do something that they really don’t want to do in their hearts is what I call “trauma”. It only destroys the spirit and the will to live.

In case (B) it is useful for the individual themselves to get up the courage to face their own internal fears and do something about them. Not doing so will only leave them feeling powerless and like a victim. Victims tend then only to blame others for their situation and this of course helps no one, especially not the victim. The process I developed called MRP helps individuals reclaim their power and mastery over their own life thus freeing them and helping them to unleash their immense creative potential once and for all.

5. What would you advise a client to do who suffers from “severe” procrastination?

As I said above if they are stuck in case (B) which is the most common situation I see it becomes the individual’s responsibility to decide for themselves whether they want to go on living this way. No one else could nor should attempt to impose on that individual what they should do about it. Doing so might simply unleash a great deal of resistance in their direction. Having said that it becomes essential that the individual with the problem realize that if they choose to submit to the procrastination problem they will have no one but themselves to blame for the ultimate consequences to them and their life.

6. From past clients (or any other experiences), what is the likelihood of overcoming procrastination? Explain.

You see it’s not that there aren’t effective methods of overcoming procrastination, there are, and MRP is one if them in my view. In the end overcoming it is the result of the individual’s heartfelt desire and intent not to be a victim of procrastination and to seek out the appropriate assistance.

7. What would you suggest a client, who has recently overcome procrastination, do to prevent it?

Well in my view that question is a bit of an oxymoron because if they “have” overcome it then it should be gone and no longer need to prevent it, thus all they have to do is go in living their life as they desire. The fact that that you asked the question in that way speaks to the matter that many approaches to addressing procrastination don’t work, they only appear to work in the short term. So to answer your question most directly I would suggest that the individual seek out an approach that will help them rid themselves of it for good so they don’t have to have it “sitting on their shoulder” waiting for it to attack again.

Dr. Nick Arrizza is trained in Chemical Engineering, Business Management & Leadership, Medicine and Psychiatry. He is an Energy Psychiatrist, Healer, Key Note Speaker,Editor of a New Ezine Called “Spirituality And Science” (which is requesting high quality article submissions) Author of “Esteem for the Self: A Manual for Personal Transformation” (available in ebook format on his web site), Stress Management Coach, Peak Performance Coach & Energy Medicine Researcher, Specializes in Life and Executive Performance Coaching, is the Developer of a powerful new tool called the Mind Resonance Process(TM) that helps build physical, emotional, mental and spiritual well being by helping to permanently release negative beliefs, emotions, perceptions and memories. He holds live workshops, international telephone coaching sessions and international teleconference workshops on Physical. Emotional, Mental and Spiritual Well Being.

Web Site: http://www.telecoaching4u.com/IntroConsult.htm

“You cannot capture happiness no matter how hard you may chase after it. Happiness is something that follows you.”
The words of the old sage echoed in the young man’s heart, sounding a constant beat like the song that plays over and over without reprieve.
“What does that mean?” he asked himself. “Time to walk,” he continued, trapped in his own inner dialogue.

He thought about how many ways he tried to find lasting joyfrom the cheap thrills to the bigger emotional investments that still left him bankrupt, at square one, with no more to show than a few scars and wrinkles and perhaps a tiny glimpse of what to avoidfar from any solution, more like a the-pain-will-stop-when-you-stop-smacking-yourself-with-the-baseball-bat approach that moved nothing forward.

At least it didn’t move back.

Or did it?

“The pursuit of pain avoidance will never lead to happiness,” he mused inside his aching head, an ache that scratched his soul, dug deep into his bowels to trouble and torment him, turned his stomach green, a sickly, hungover nausea that clung like ivy smothering a chimney. “I’ve gotta’ figure this out,” he demanded, “I wanna’ be happy.”

He kept one foot in front of the other, as if the forward march would somehow will the understanding to step forth and make itself known.
No such luckthough he vowed to keep on.

His slow gait opened space for introspectionplod, seek, plod, seek.
The mental wheels spun, though he wrestled with a vague notion that only in stillness would answers emerge or materialize.

“I can’t capture happiness but I yearn for it. I try to do the right things yet it eludes me, like pushing a string. When do the right things add up? When is enough enough? How do I reel it in? Or can I?”
His legs carried him while his mind churned.

“I know I can’t look outside myself but how do I look within? How does looking help anyway? What do I do with what I see?”

He tripped over a protruding stone and found himself falling, a gash on the knee, a burn on the palm of his hand.

He sat for a long while, watching the wounds leak, a queer smirk across his lips.

“What’s that about?” he pondered.

Despite his stuff, he felt a smile creep upward from his chin.
It spread into a grin, like the sun rising between two mountain tops, filling the space with pale light that gains strength with each passing moment, a space that floods with pinks and reds and causes the valley between the crests to stream awakening to all below.

He suddenly knew, as we all know, in that profound and knowing place, that the rock that sent him tumbling spoke a universal truth.

Only he could pry open the creaking, groaning door that hid his darkest secrets as well as his enlightenment and build a pathway for happiness to alight and embrace him.

He licked the blood from his wrist and tasted himself, glanced down at his torn jeans, the naked flesh speckled with bits of gravel, glanced up and discovered an emerald green tree line, a blue sky, a stray cloud, a soaring hawk and a glowing eye that stared back at him and gave him, for a hushed moment, a tiny piece of happiness.

That’s A View From The Ridge…

Please subscribe to A View From The Ridge, Ridgely’s inspirational column that goes out around the world, at http://www.aviewfromtheridge.com

Ridgely would also love to hear from you personally by email at ridge@aviewfromtheridge.com.

I want to share some additional ideas about the
process of change to help you gear up for showing up
more fully in 2006.

First I want to tell you about a powerful exchange I
had with a 17 year old client and his mother this week.
I must say that this young person is massively troubled.
His mother stated that she always taught her child to be
a “free thinker” and to challenge “entrenched power”.
My response was that “It is OK to think outside the box,
but first you need a box”.

By having a box I mean a set of beliefs, values, an identity
and a coherent personal story to hold all of this.

That being said, once you have a “box”, hopefully it is
flexible enough to make room for new ideas and experiences.

I strongly believe your identity or personal story literally
creates who you are. My 17 year old client has constructed
his identity around being a person who is a fighter. He is
not clear about what he stands for. He is clear what he is
against - EVERYTHING!

In order to create change in your life, you need to examine
your current identity conclusions.

This is crucial because you act in line with your identity. Your
identity acts like a governor on a go-cart. It will only let you
go so far or so fast.

You may be pondering, “What is my identity or personal story?”
or “Where does it come from?”

Your identity conclusions are self created out of your collective
life experiences. Many of our most preciously held assumptions
we developed before we were old enough to know the difference.

We often get caught up in defining ourselves in extremely narrow
and limiting ways. For example, some folks use their profession
as their primary identifier. Other individuals use unfortunate past
experiences to construct their identity around - “I am a victim”.

Defining your self by a problem you have can be highly troubling. Clinging to other titles, roles or labels is extremely restricting - as these can fall away.

Your identity can be thought of as your true inner self. It includes many interconnecting aspects of who you are. Specifically it includes:

YOUR BELIEFS: These are your unique ideas and conclusions
about: the world around you, other people, and your behavior
- to name a few.

YOUR VALUES: Specifically those “things” you hold dearly and
play a significant role in driving your day-to-day choices and
behavior.

Overall your IDENTITY is your deep sense of who you are. Your
identity can be seen as what organizes your beliefs, capabilities,
behaviors, and values into a single system - a story.

Your identity is so key to who you are. While you need a clear
sense of who you are, your identity can be problematic if it becomes rigid or outdated. For example, many individuals who I have seen in coaching or psychotherapy over the years have come in with outdated solutions. Specifically, if someone grows up in an abusive home, they may learn to distrust people and keep people at a distance. This solution (and corresponding stories) makes perfect sense when considering the context in which they were originally developed. As an adult, this outdated solution likely contaminates relationships.

So how do you begin to change your identity or your personal story?

That is a huge question, but I am glad you asked. Here is a powerful starting point:

Ask yourself some powerful questions to connect with your true self or edit your existing story. For example:

If you were on your deathbed what are the 2 most important things you would share with loved ones about what you learned in your life?

What gives you the greatest joy in your life?

If money was not an issue, what kind of work would you do?
Who is your greatest hero(s) and why?

If you had a time machine and could relive one experience you had, what would that experience be and why?

Remember, expanding or editing your personal story is key to your success. This is similar to what Earl Nightingale meant when he said, “We become what we think about, most of the time”.

The key is that we can change what we think about; with the right approach. William James stated “Of all the creatures of earth, only human beings can change their patterns. Man alone is the architect of his destiny… Human beings, by changing their inner attitudes of their minds, can change the outer aspects of their life.” In other words, when you change your story, you change what you arrange for, create and attract into your life.

Don’t follow the masses. I suspect that Thoreau was correct when
he said “The mass of men live lives of quite desperation”. So many people play it safe. They stay small. They take the easier softer way. They are afraid to show up more fully in their own life. They are uncomfortable with the potential impact that living out an expanded and more empowering story will have on those around them.

Break your addiction to you personal story!

Remember, you perceive what you perceive because that is what you perceive.

In life, you get what you expect.

Seek and you will find (or create or arrange for or simply make up).

What you expect is in line with your identity and personal story.

Make a decision!

Get clear about what an expanded personal story who look like.

Keep in mind that YOUR story is not YOU. You are not the story. You are the storyteller.

Your story is not carved in stone. I like to think of it as being carved in liverwurst. It is changeable.

It starts with believing that change is possible - followed by a
DECISION.

Change what you believe is possible in your life.

Break out of the routine of ordinary.

Transcend what is currently “normal”.

Break out of automatic pilot mode.

Ask your self if there is anything more.

You know there is.

Shatter the illusions of what you currently think is possible.

Cross the divid that separates what currently is and what could be.

You deserve to be living out the most extraordinary version of your story.

Remember, you are the storyteller - not the story.

Give yourself permission to be great.

You deserve to be in love with your own journey.

Choose adventure.

Make the decision.

Dr. Mike Davison
http://www.PartnersInPurpose.com
http://www.PartnersInPurpose.Blogspot.com

If you have any questions about individualized consultation or
coaching to help you live your big dream, please do not hesitate
to contact me at mike@PartnersInPurpose.com .

Copyright, 2006. PartnersInPurpose.com

All rights reserved. For more information, contact:

Dr. Mike Davison

3295 N. Arlington Heights Rd. Suite 103

Arlington Heights, IL 60004

Telephone: (800) 470-3257