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80 End Procrastination Now!

procrastination modulators. Then, we’ll look at proactive coping
to boost your do-it-now signals to promote productive outcomes.

Using Commitment Language

American diplomat and scientist Ben Franklin advised committing
only to what you are willing to do, then doing it. A commitment
is a pledge or a promise to yourself or to someone else that you’ll
follow through on a responsibility now or at a future time. You
may have competing commitments, such as saving for a new
home, having the money to enjoy life, and investing for retire-
ment. Such competing commitments suggest that one thing or
another is going to get put off.
You may commit to losing weight, improving the quality of
your work products, and ending procrastination practices. How-
ever, without a plan and an intention, this is like a promissory note
with no due date. If you delay, you’re on the slippery procrastina-
tion slope.
If you choose to stay off the slippery slope, before you volun-
tarily make a commitment, ask yourself: What am I doing this for?
(It’s easy to skip this step.) A few more preliminary questions are
in order: What do you want to accomplish? What is required? What
resources do you need? How long do you expect the process to
take? What are the constraints? Now you may be ready to commit
to an action of your choice.
A phrase as simple as “I will do this” is a commitment. The
stronger your sense of intent, the more likely it is that you’ll follow
through. However, you’re not off the procrastination slope until
you start acting with purpose and intent.
Organizations that live up to their commitments to produce
high-quality products and deliver better-than-average customer
service are likely to keep their customers and add to their customer
base. View yourself as your own best customer. What service do
you believe you deserve from yourself?