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8 Things That Fuel Procrastination

8 things that fuel procrastination

Have you wondered what could be creating procrastination in your life?

If you have been reading my content for any amount of time you have probably figured out pretty fast that my passion has been for mental health, normalizing it, and raising awareness in the social media atmosphere.

Being yourself can be hard this day in age.

It could be an abusive relationship you are currently in or maybe it’s something that happened to you in your past that haunts you day in and day out. The pressure from society making us feel like we need to be a certain way definitely doesn’t help either.

Figuring out what has held me back this whole time has been life altering to the max.

I don’t know about you, but being a mom and not knowing who you are is hard.

How do you build something out of a million pieces without reading a manual first? And how do you know what tools to even use? Or how to even go about it?

You really don’t know. 

That is one of the hardest things about going through trials is not knowing what to do next.

The days it feels like a heavy amount are the days when I know I haven’t been taking care of myself the way I should be. Those are the days my anxieties get harder to deal with and my patience runs out quicker than id like.

These are also the days that I shut down, I push others out, and I start obsessing over what my next quick fix will be thinking that I will be somehow change it overnight.

The problem is and always has been that I was always focused on the wrong thing.

I’m still learning and growing, but here are things that I have discovered that have been catering to the procrastination that i live and try my best to deal with.

1. Society

The sad thing about society today is that it’s no longer very personable.

You don’t get to meet the people you crave to be like in real life, and the people who see you on social media don’t get to see you for who you really are.

It’s so hard to know what’s real anymore and not only that, but the social media atmosphere in general has become very intrusive to people’s thoughts and what they think they should or shouldn’t be.

What’s helped me is understanding that you can’t make everybody happy and you never will; but you can make yourself happy. And that sort of happiness is radiating. People see it and they also feel it, too.

2. People Pleasing

Being a people pleaser is a direct correlation to displeasing yourself and automatically causing procrastination in the places that need first priority.

Which is a double edged sword because ultimately it makes it harder for you to say NO to the things you don’t want to do; and instead leaves you doing the things you don’t want to do out of frustration.

It can be a hard pill to swallow once you stand up for yourself.  and the things you feel strongly about may not align with what someone else feels. Accepting that not everyone is going to like you isn’t necessarily easy, but it makes moving on a lot easier.

Once you use your voice, you will find the power within yourself to make change happen.

3.Unexpected issues.

When the ‘unexpected’ happens we tend to run away.

Life happens to all of us. Positive and negative changes are constantly taking place and one thing that may be hard to accept is that it’s all out of your control.

We can’t determine what god has set out for us and we won’t ever know what lies ahead. Focusing on the things we can’t change does nothing but fuel our anxiety and keeps us from moving forward.

Allow yourself to have the bad days just as much as the good days and appreciate them for what they teach you.

We’re all learning to be better everyday, don’t let that be what is holding you back.

So don’t let other people push you around, and stick up for what YOU know is right for you.

4. Complaining 

I’m a guilty one. I am so guilty of being a complainer. I’m not always good at voicing how much of a complainer i really can be. Admitting this isn’t easy for me to do because deep down i really want to change that about myself, but its a daily progress.

Like i said above, life happens and when life happens and it gets ugly and not so kind we automatically start to complain. What complaining does in my household is create negativity. It gets so negative when complaints start spewing out of our mouths, that it usually sticks around for awhile. When it sticks around for while it becomes the catalyst to procrastination.

Positive thoughts truly do create positive intentions and in turn a more positive life.

5. Trying to be “enough”

This one is personal for me because i never realized how bad it really was, and just how much it fuels procrastination.

I’m not sure if it was the fact that my step father was never satisfied with me no matter what I did for him, or my ex who I attached myself to, or if it was the fact that my own mom has struggled to show me affection. But, trying to be “enough” for the people in my life is something that I let take over me and consume my everyday habits.

Being enough for everyone else but myself is something I used to focus all of my attention on. My strength was being used in all of the wrong ways.

The truth is that we will never be enough for anything until we start being enough for ourselves. Take baby steps, but learn how to love and care for yourself more and you will find that doing the things you want and need to do become a lot easier.

6. Family

This is always a hard pill to swallow because none of us want to admit that our families or a friend or someone we were close to are hurting us.

It may not be intentional, but being as you already know how your family operates you already know what they like and don’t like. To make it harder, they already know what they want for you before you even know what you want for you.

“Doing you” might push some away, but don’t let that stop you from taking care of yourself. Procrastination can literally fall down the family line; so if your used to watching your family procrastinate, be mindful about making sure you don’t follow in their footsteps.

You have to keep fighting for yourself and who you want to be.

God never meant for you to only live half of yourself. He wants you to be who he made you to be. And you won’t find her until all of these things no longer stand in your way.

You were made to do great things. 

7. Comparison

 I have personally been so focused on this topic lately.

And not just because I think this is something other people need to learn, but I know that this is what I need to be learning too.

[bctt tweet=”Comparison isn’t just the thief of joy, it’s the thief of who you are and what could be fueling procrastination.” username=”mamaingrace”]

It’s OK to want more for yourself. I feel like we are called to have grace seasons where we don’t have all that what we want. There is always something to be learned in each season of life and every insecurity we have.

Take what you can learn from them and find ways to use them as tools to get you to the next step. The next step should always be moving you towards what it is that you want.

But for the love of all things holy, please stop comparing your story to anyone else’s.

This life is happening for you, not to you. Just as it is for everyone else.

8. Thinking its out of your hands

You have control over procrastination.

Somethings you don’t want to hear are maybe just the things that your mind needs to be aware of.

Maybe you don’t realize it because you have been stuck in a cloud for too long and the only thing you have been able to focus on is “why me”. Look friend, i get that. I have been in that place too, but the only way to get out is accepting fault.

I feel like so many of us don’t realize how much we are truly standing in our own way.

It’s so much easier to blame other things and other people when we are letting it affect us so much.

It’s easier to place blame and to turn the other cheek to your own problems.

Have you ever wondered what it is that you are doing wrong, and why bad stuff continues to happen TO you?

I’m with you, friend.

My entire life has been a roller coaster and it wasn’t until this last year that I finally started to see some stability and consistency. That didn’t start to happen until i decided to start making some real changes in how i viewed every situation.

Give yourself grace, love, and patience.

You will always be your own worst critic, so don’t be too hard on yourself. However, we need to check on ourselves as regularly as we can.

Remember to do a mind body and soul check. And always take care of yourself first my friend. You cannot pour from an empty cup!

Let go of the things that are fueling procrastination and no longer fueling the fire inside of you.

Say yes to the new opportunity you never thought you would take. Open the door to the next career you always dreamed of having.

Positive change takes work, and sometimes a lot of it. But I promise you, it’s worth it. Only you can determine what’s best for you.

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Courtney Flores

founder of mama in grace

Welcome to Mama in Grace! I’m a mom on a mission to help fellow moms navigate faith and motherhood with grace. Here, you’ll find inspiring content, practical tips, and a supportive community to accompany you on your journey. Join us as we embrace the beauty of motherhood with faith as our centerpiece. 

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