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Sentry
Member



Joined: 2004/2/5
Posts: 119
West Monroe, Louisiana

 PLEASE HELP!!! - Procrastination

For years....I have always been a procrastinator, always putting something off...to tomorrow...or whenever.

It has never really been a problem, I feel, until the last couple of years.

I really need help...it is affecting my life!
Are there any scriptures that relate to this?
I am writing this simply because I want help...and prayer...I'm desperate...I don't want to be like this anymore!

It's causing problems with my job...my life...my ministry!

Any comments would be deeply appreciated.

Mark


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Mark

 2007/9/20 15:26Profile
jarona
Member



Joined: 2007/7/3
Posts: 162
The Earth

 Re: PLEASE HELP!!! - Procrastination

If you go to www.studylight.org and do a search with the word slothful you will find many scriptures pertaining to that; different Proverbs, etc.

Personally I can tell you my view, more surrender to Jesus makes us less of a procrastinator.

In this day and age, when many people have so much they want to do, they end up doing some things and neglecting others.

I feel that God has brought me a long way with procrastination. And I definetly have a ways to go because I put some things off as I am doing other things, then soon the day is over.

I feel that the yieldedness to the Spirit can draw us away from procrastination. For instance when Christs' love is within us we will naturally want to serve others. Therefore we may be dilligent to do good and serve others and avoid procrastinating in certain ways.

I hope I am making sense to you in some way.
There can definetly be the spiritual aspect of it as well, a demon helping cause you to be a procrastinator. In that case bind the demon, and when the temptation comes back, bind another demon, etc. etc.

Before I came to the realization there was a God, I may have completed reading 2 books, excluding childrens books. Now by the grace of God I can spend hrs. reading.

I think it is can be in the attitude of our hearts. Perhaps you should take a good examination of the intentions in your heart that are causing you to procrastinate. Is it because you are spending so much time in prayer and in studying the Bible? Or is it because you day dream heaps, and just become really lazy? You don't have to answer this obviously, it is just something to think about. What motives in your heart are causing you to fall victim to this...

That may be a wise thing to really think about; it may really help to understand what is causing you personally to procrastinate, then you could deal with those issues, and thereby overcome procrastination. Take it to God in prayer. And acknowledge your inability to overcome on your own, and ask HIM to show you what behaviours or what mentality is causing you to struggle and fall victim to this. I hope this may do some good for you.


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Jaron

 2007/9/20 16:30Profile
Compton
Member



Joined: 2005/2/24
Posts: 2732


 Re: PLEASE HELP!!! - Procrastination

Mark,

I'll get back to you later on this. ;-)

On a serious note, in my extensive experience with procrastination, ;-) I find it is a paradox in that it is not a matter of being indifferent to what needs to be done, but a matter of having too much anxiety. Like you said...you are desperate.

For instance, some people might not get ahold of their finances because they feel overwhelmed by their debt, or they feel mystified by the complexity of managing a budget. The problem seems hopeless and so they put off dealing with reality one more day...

Anxiety and stress also play out in patterns of holding onto to stuff and social commitments we cannot afford...often this stuff held out promises of love or accomplishment down the road. Many garages are filled with junk like golf clubs, bycycles, exercise equipment ect...and calendars are jam-packed with activity....things that once seemed key to finding accomplishment and acceptance somehow. (As a first step, trim, sell, and purge what you can.)

We wander into our quagmires through a maze of anxious unfocused thinking. So what I am saying here is do not add to your anxiety by telling yourself you are lazy and unmotivated...this is NOT the lever that will help this train move to another track.

edit: Here is an important note about our quest for "inspiration." The one thing we procrastinators should not do...if I may be so bold here...is insist on a strategy of waiting for inspiration and motivation from the Holy Spirit to overcome procrastination. In my experience the Holy Spirit comforts more by depositing character that lasts then by depositing inspiration which fades quickly. If we must insist on inspiration to do a task...well I think we'll find ourselves excited but soon right back in the same circumstances. Besides, the one thing you are not lacking for is desire and good intentions!

Brother, for much of life, I've found there is more divine grace in a little earthly and practical instruction, like how to organize your sock drawers, then a hundred inspirational sermons. For instance, If your problem is lack of organization, find someone who knows how to organize. Organized people usually have effecient systems and principles that come easy to them, that would greatly help someone like me.

Our procrastination tendencies are less likely a lack of care, and more likely a lack of simple 'tools' to get a job done. I'm talking about the tools to turn an overwhelming repsonsibility, from organizing a sock drawer to writing a business plan, into a defined and manageable project. People with skills in certain areas are often skilled because they are thinking clearly about their areas of expertise. Get your notebook, ask them for instruction, and become a student...better yet take them by the sleeve and ask for demonstrations in your own home, office, and life.

So to sum up,

1) Get help from people more effective and efficient then you in your areas of struggle. Though I struggle with many practical things, I am blessed with a variety of counsel and instruction in almost every area in my life...in areas where I consistently struggle to areas that I am proficient in. (There is always someone smarter!)

2) Accomplish small goals first. It is better that you feel a tiny change in your direction then feel sorry about doing nothing. Taste the satisfaction of even flawed success in an area. Procrastinators are often dreamers and perfectionists...that is they tend to avoid challenges because they know they will probably fail their first time. Instead brother, walk in grace and believe that these elephants can be eaten one spoonful at a time.

3) Reject the myth of the motivated inspired man who has endless energy to get things done through his sheer will and passion. Businesses are started and bankrupted on this myth. Churches are begun and failed on this popular myth. This man doesn't exist...except for brief flashes of time. Instead, look to helpful brothers and sisters who can help you aquire and understand simple down to earth processes and methods for doing the things that are overwhelming to you. Only by learning these ideas and methods will you be able to sustain repeatable succcess and results over a lifetime.

Edit: And one more small reminder...simplify your schedule where possible, and sell or dump all the clutter in your living and work spaces you can. Often there is dispensible complexity and chaos in our schedule and spaces that is adding to those anxieties that feed our procrastination to do the essentials.

Blessings brother Mark!

MC


_________________
Mike Compton

 2007/9/20 18:01Profile





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