Perfectionism is often viewed as a positive trait that pushes you to strive for excellence. However, when taken to the extreme, it can cause procrastination in a number of ways.
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Your Planner
In an interview with Ed Mylet, he talked about the importance of planning and specifically blocking out time (scheduling appointments) for the most important things. And then he said something very profound, “Show me your planner and I will show you what your priorities are.” Think about that for a moment. Are you planning for the most important things in your life?
Maybe you don’t even have a planner or your planner is blank. Do you just hope that your most important things will just happen? Do you schedule time to exercise? Do you schedule time for your significant other? Do you schedule time to work on your goals? What about your dreams?
Turn your planner (whether paper or electronic) into more than just a date book. Take 15 minutes every day and formally plan your day. After looking at the appointments on you calendar, ask yourself the question, “What of importance do I want to work on or accomplish today.” Then block time out on your calendar to get it done.
That is the first step. The second step is more difficult. The second step is to do it! You have to push yourself. You must have the character to execute on your plan rather than lay down on the couch and binge watch Netflix. Successful people create a plan around their goals and what they want to achieve and then execute on that plan.
Most of us wouldn’t commit to someone that you would do something and then not do it. We have integrity. Why then, do we commit to ourselves that we are going to do something and then don’t? Shouldn’t we have personal integrity with ourselves? Stop lying to yourself. Make a plan and then stick to it.
If you were to show me your planner would I know what your priorities are? Better yet, if I were to watch you for a day, would I see you working on what is most important to you? Actions speak so much louder than words. Get to it.