Motivational Speaker Says Procrastination May Signal That You're Undecided

By: Dr. Gary S. Goodman

I’ve been researching the topic of procrastination, and I’m finding that it’s making me more frustrated than ever.

For some reason, I see procrastinating, putting off the doing of something, as a symptom and not as a malady in its own right.

For example, let’s say I’m procrastinating about submitting a course proposal to a university. Most of the literature says my sloth reflects a personality flaw, a bad habit, or perhaps the fear of failure, or even the fear of success.

Possibly, but I think it may have something to do with the fact that in this sort of circumstance I haven’t made a real decision about doing the class. Yes, I’ve developed the concept, planned it to an extent, done most of the marketing of it, but I’m putting off the paperwork because I’m ambivalent about it.

This ambivalence might be manifested in a different way. Let’s say I’m not certain I want to tether my future to that course, what I may do is price it at such a premium level as to force my sponsors to reject it if they are ambivalent, as well, thus confirming my suspicions that it may be a marginal concept.

If the outside world applauds my concept, I must be telling myself unconsciously, then it is meritorious, and worth a commitment on my part, but if it isn’t acclaimed, I’m better off doing something else that has more support.

All of this seems perfectly logical, and perhaps sensible. Why commit to actions for which there isn’t solid support, or that don’t portend profitability, right?

But the problem with this thinking is if you’re really innovating, you’ll be out of step with your peers, you’ll be seeing something that they are blind to, and winning them over, at least right away is unrealistic. You may have to do a lot of lobbying, risk taking, and leading in order to drum up even a little initial support.

All you have to bolster you at that point is the strength of your decision, however you arrived at it.

You’ve heard the expression that “confidence sells,” and it’s true, you need to manifest it if you hope to gain assistance, and you won’t unless you’re operating on a solid basis of belief in your own venture.

Procrastination is a tip-off that you don’t fully support the task that you’ve set in front of yourself to do, that on some level you don’t believe it is meritorious, or you suspect it is a waste of your time.

Until you go back and sell yourself on the value of accomplishing this task, you’ll spin your wheels, or seemingly idle away your time, or distract yourself with other things.

Dr. Gary S. Goodman, President of Customersatisfaction.com & The Goodman Organization is a popular keynote speaker, management consultant, and seminar leader and the best-selling author of 12 books, including Reach Out & Sell Someone and Monitoring, Measuring & Managing Customer Service, and the audio program, "The Law of Large Numbers: How To Make Success Inevitable," published by Nightingale-Conant. He is a frequent guest on radio and television, worldwide. A Ph.D. from USC's Annenberg School, a Loyola lawyer, and an MBA from the Peter F. Drucker School at Claremont Graduate University, Gary offers programs through UCLA Extension and numerous universities, trade associations, and other organizations.