Page 55 - End Procrastination Now Get it Done with a Proven Psychological Approach

Perspectives on Procrastination and Awareness for Change 23

Phase 5: Actualization

Actualization is often portrayed as a mysterious process in which
you have oceanic or peak experiences. It may be a Buddha-like
desireless state. It may be a state of mind in which you experience
a conceptual and emotional sense of connectedness with all of
humanity across cultures, time, and dimension. You can also view
actualization as stretching your abilities and resources enough to
promote meaningful changes in your life in those areas where
such efforts are meaningful and important. That’s how I prefer to
use the concept.

Positive Actions for Change. Follow-through is to actualization as
water is to plant growth. What actions can you take to rescript your
life narrative to include the results of experiments in stretching to
find the boundaries of what you are able to accomplish that you’d
value? Additional questions to ask yourself are:

• What ideas or actions have you found effective in one phase
or zone of your life that you can apply to procrastination
zones where you are experiencing stagnation?
• Does organizing and regulating your ideas and actions
promote stretching and accomplishing?
• What do you learn about yourself by taking a few extra steps
to stretch in the direction of actualization?

Change can be something you just do. Let’s say you want to
alter your appearance to initiate change, or maybe you’d like to take
a vacation for a change. But some changes take time and a process
that can compete with an old habit that you wish to change.
Changing from a pattern of delays to a productive pattern is
rarely a finger-snapping act. Getting yourself disentangled from the
cognitive, emotive, and behavioral dimensions of procrastination