Have you ever put off a DIY project? If the answer is yes, then join the club – it’s something that all of us can identify with. If your answer is no, and your conscience doesn’t prick you for saying that, then please share your secrets.
Because this is such a universal habit we were interested to come across an article from the American edition of Psychology Today magazine that looks at the phenomenon of procrastination as it relates to home improvement.
Author Dr Bill Knaus, who we’d like to call an expert on procrastination except that comes out all wrong, sets out how we are all torn between the warring impulses of engaging in pleasant, diversionary activity and having a nagging feeling that there’s something we really should be doing.
He goes on to offer six steps for avoiding DIY procrastination, something that makes this a very worthwhile read.
Here’s a taste of what he has to say:
Psychology Today: Six steps to prevent procrastination at home
Because your home maintenance and improvement work is at your discretion, this is different from meeting fixed deadlines assigned to you by someone else. So what do you do? You could sing Manaña while thinking, “Indeed, things could be worse.” Meanwhile, the rain keeps leaking through the roof. You can heap blame onto yourself to prod yourself into action. However, blaming yourself for a tendency to procrastinate is normally a wasted effort. If blame for procrastination was a universal prophylactic you’d see a flood of books hit the market on how to self-actualize yourself by blaming yourself for pointless delays.
Let’s look at six proactive steps to prevent procrastination that you can also use to catch up with what you’re your been putting off. Read the article in full here.