It has been called the 'thief of dreams'. Procrastination is that damaging tendency we have to put off doing the things we know we have to do. It is universally known and experienced and can be the difference between achieving a goal in a month or 6 months, or even worse for some people, between achieving a goal and not even getting started!
This article will aim to explore procrastination and how it can effect every aspect of our lives.

Firstly why is procrastination so damaging? You may be thinking I have introduced procrastination to be something more sinister than it really is. After all it's generally innocent enough activity right? We don't procrastinate by doing things that are mean or harmful or damaging to us, so what's the big deal? We'll get to that in a moment.

First let's just recognize that each time we put something off we fall behind. When we don't do what we're meant to do we waste time. For whatever reason we procrastinate we lose valuable time that we can never get back. Time is one of the only non renewable resources we have. We have each moment once then it is lost forever. If you procrastinate once a week, think how much time you will have lost over a month, a year or a decade? Not only that but when you put off doing things that contribute toward the achievement of your goals you detract from the quality of the life you live while NOT procrastinating. Your goals take longer to achieve (if you achieve them at all) and you spend more of your life 'waiting' to get to where you want to be than moving actively towards there.

But you want to know the real kicker? Be ready for a shock.

Each time you procrastinate, something happens to you. Each time you procrastinate, you make it easy to procrastinate again next time. After a few times of this you have got yourself a habit. This means you procrastinate and slow down your achievement automatically! You don't even think about it! Do this for 6 months and it has become a part of who you are. You will probably begin to describe yourself as lazy and notice that you are not making the progress you want in your life. But it get's worse.

There's a saying that says 'How you do anything is how you do everything'. This means that if procrastination is a part of who you are, it will pervade other areas of your life. You might have started out just putting off tasks at work, but after months of having it become part of you, now you put off dates with your partner and trips to the gym. You put off appointments, you put off taking out the trash and you put off walking the dog. Pretty soon you can't make progress in any area of your life because you are wrought with this horrid disease.

Ok you can calm down again. I have over exaggerated this point somewhat to outline the power that procrastination has to influence your life, but don't get me wrong, the theories I'm sharing are true to a T. Overcoming procrastination is one of the most powerful feelings you can experience. If you're a procrastinator, don't wait another year before you do something about it. It's your life.

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Andrew Hansen is an entrepreneur, author and personal development trainer. He runs a website dedicated to personal growth that provides tips, information and advice on attaining the level of success that you're worthy of in all areas of your life. For more information on overcoming procrastination please see overcoming procrastination.