Procrastination

The meaning of the word that we today associate it with is somewhat contradictory to what its origin meant. The word itself comes from the Latin word procrastinatus: pro- (forward) and crastinus (of tomorrow). The term's first known appearance was in Edward Hall's The Union of the Noble, first published before 1548. This reflected procrastination's connection at the time to task avoidance or delay, volition or will, and sin. Yet if you look of its Latin meaning it is more like “Forward of Tomorrow” rather than “Task Avoidance”.

In spite of all this, the big question is “what does it mean to us internally?” And what are the feelings, images, sounds that flash in our mind and which make up and tell us the meaning of this word.

To answer the questions we really need to go deep inside ourselves, dig deep inside ourselves, then understand what Procrastination really means to us.

Never mind what it might mean outside of us or around us; for that each person has different internal meaning and feeling that they represent it by.

To me Procrastination has several meanings and feelings associated with it. When I am procrastinating I normally have an Internal Dialog. There is a kind of a raging war between myself and myself; the two warlords that both believe that each of them is right and righteous. Have you ever experienced such painful and at times demonic feeling?

When I enter this state, the state of procrastination, for me, it is like entering a battleground. The battlegrounds where fearsome and deadly wars are waged! The battlegrounds in no man’s land; where tyranny of the warlords, their personal vendettas and, their private and hidden agendas are at large. It is like entering this battlefield where all you see is devastation simply because neither of the warlords has acknowledged the needs of the other nor the opportunity to coexist.
When I enter this state, it is like entering a state of chaos. It is like entering a jungle where the law of the wild is prevalent and the absence of it is everywhere. It is like entering the conflict!

But I know one thing. I know that the original meaning of the word is “Forward to Tomorrow.”
I know that by entering this state, I will come out of it victorious. I know that by entering this battleground I can recognise the waring factions. I know that by entering this battleground that the warlords are seeking a resolution for the conflict, though in their own way. I know that when I enter this chaotic state there will always be order.
Because I know that there is hope. Because I know that there is order. Because I know that there is a beautiful garden underneath the untamed growth.
Just like I know the sun will rise from the east and will set in the west. Just like I know that the excitement of summer always follows the rebirth of the spring.

Procrastination is nothing more than a healthy state of mind. A state of mind that helps us to “Forward to Tomorrow.” It is for our growth. It is for the identification of our most vulnerable states. It is to discover who we truly are.

“Procrastination, oh what a dirty word” they say.
“Procrastination, oh what a wonderful state that our unconscious mind takes us to and goes into. It is a healthy debate that we always win.” That is what I say.

When we procrastinate it is a signal from our Unconscious Mind telling us that there are not enough information to work with and more time, learning, and attention is needed to spend on the topic we are procrastinating on.
Our unconscious mind is telling us that the Picture that we are trying to paint is not as clear as it should be. For us to “Forward to Tomorrow” more is needed. It is not specific enough in our unconscious to deduce and hence make the appropriate decision.

Just like overwhelment, procrastination is simply a state that our unconscious goes through processing data. It is the state of Decision Making. It is the process of Decision Making. When we are overwhelmed we are in the state of Organising Information. Once we have organised the information and moved forward with the learning, we enter the State of Procrastination as now decisions need to be made in relation to the newly learned information.

This so called “war” is nothing but exceptions being raised in our mind, being raised by our unconscious telling us that “more information is needed to process so that we can Forward to Tomorrow” before any Decisions can be made or are made.

In order to get out of this state, the state of procrastination, we need to provide the unconscious more material and evidence and data in support of the original information. We trust our unconscious to bring that needed information to our conscious in the form of procrastination so that we can go and seek it.

So next time you get the to go through one of those Procrastinating moments, rejoice, for it is the Unconscious Mind seeking more knowledge to help you “Forward to Tomorrow.”

Joseph Warda
Active Business Coach
Coach, Train, Facilitate, and Grow!
joseph.warda@activebusinesscoach.com
Active Business Coach
+61-4-1428 3098