My husband works in heating and air conditioning. On top of his day job he also helps people on the side. He does anything from service to brand new installations. Over the summer he had a lot of extra side jobs, which meant a lot of extra cash in his pocket.

Summer’s over (sad face) and so the side work slows down a bit for Drew. Yes, he still has a few people call here and there, asking to help look at something that’s broken or upgrade an outdated part. But for the most part- he’s got less side work.

However, he did have a woman calling him that he kept putting off. Working long days in crawl spaces, attics, and on his belly/knees/back- he just feels so tired when he gets home. And our house is still here, needing its own projects, work, and things to be done.

So for a few weeks he’s been putting it off. Telling her ‘Next week, next week’ or ‘How about the weekend after that?’ They plan phone tag and try back-and-forth to get something on the calendar.

Well last weekend he read my newsletter and the short blurb I had in it about the upcoming Procrastination call. He called me from work and said: “I’m coming home a little late today. I’m going to head over and finish that side job on my way home from work.”

Later that night, as we were sitting in our basement watching some baseball he thanked me. Confused and curious, I asked what are you thanking me for?

“If it wasn’t for your article in the newsletter, I would have never finished that side job. I’m thanking you because now I have some extra cash and that job is finally over. It’s been weighing on me, bothering me so much. But I just didn’t feel like doing it… Now it’s done and I feel relieved.”

What about you?

What are you putting off in your own life? Can you actually save, make, or bring in more money by getting the thing you are avoiding done? Could getting that extra work done, finishing up that self-evaluation, or making that deadline get you a promotion or even a raise?

Procrastination can also sneak into our health.

Think about the tired feeling that you ‘push through’ to get a deadline done at work. Or maybe you have a nagging ache in your side, but you’re just ‘too busy’ to do anything about it. Further, a bothersome cold or sore throat that just won’t go away, but isn’t quite ‘bad enough’ to justify missing work.

The more you put things off; the bigger problems they create.

Take a moment to pause and reflect on your own life. Where, how and in what ways are you procrastinating? Which areas do you avoid? How have you said to yourself, “Oh- I just don’t feel like doing that right now…”

If you think that putting things off is really getting in your way- you’re not alone. But it takes more than ‘will power’ to break free from this cycle.

Join us Tuesday, October 29 as we break through the barriers of Procrastination Paralyzation. And if you’re thinking of an excuse for why you can’t make it, ask yourself: “Am I procrastinating yet again?”