Self-regulatory failure is a fancy phrase for procrastination: putting off what we KNOW we would be better off getting over with. There are many reasons we choose to delay, defer, and postpone action and most have emotional roots with varying degrees of validity and we can also overregulate and mis-regulate ourselves.
Self-knowledge, a deep and abiding awareness of one’s tendencies, is the key to self-mastery, to ensure that, at least most of the time, what truly matters most to us is not frittered away by the alluring temptations of the moment. A key phrase is ‘what truly matters most to us’; if the goals we pursue are those of our peers, our parents, or our culture, their attainment will be hollow and our motivation weakened. Developing predictive intelligence is important; when you set a goal, write out the emotional ‘why’ thereof (how you expected to feel, how you anticipate it changing your life – doing so allows you to fine tune your goal setting and greatly improve your self-awareness).
Mental fatigue can be very legitimate; it takes emotional energy to make difficult decisions and avoid temptation and like any muscle, mental muscles can get tired. Pace yourself, know your rhythms and patterns, acknowledge that at the end of the day your will power may be depleted and make extra effort to avoid slippery slopes. Supportive habits, a corroborative identity, and an aligned self-image can be powerful allies. All three reduce the expenditure of emotional energy. If your self-concept is of a dependable person that others can count on to keep commitments, you will naturally tend to behave that way.
Truth: Want power is stronger than Will power; Desire can be more powerful than Discipline. Visualization is an awesome technique to overcome procrastination. Take the time to ‘see’ in vivid, colorful detail the finished product, final completion, the good feeling of satisfaction and accomplishment that comes with a job well done. By continuously fully emotionally embracing that which you desire and want, you will find the energy and motivation you need.
Closing Quotes:
“The way to get started is to quit talking and begin doing.” – Walt Disney, 1901-1966
“Procrastination makes easy things hard and hard things harder.” – Mason Cooley, 1927-2002
“You don’t have to see the whole staircase, just take the first step.” – Martin Luther King, Jr., 1929-1968
“Visualize this thing you want. See it, feel it, believe in it. Make your mental blueprint and begin.” – Robert Collier, 1885-1950
“Procrastination is the grave in which opportunity is buried. Procrastination is, hands down, our favorite form of self-sabotage.” – Alyce Cornyn-Selby, 1946-2017
As always, I share what I most want and need to learn. – Nathan S. Collier
Note: Every effort has been made to properly source any 3rd person material. I am, however, a voracious reader. If anyone finds any unattributed material, pls let me know asap and I will be delighted to give credit where credit is due.
“All intelligent thoughts have already been thought; what is necessary is only to try to think them again.” – Johann Wolfgang von Goethe, 1749-1832
