"One of the first enemies to tackle in self-coaching is procrastination. We procrastinate when we know we need to change, but cannot summon and sustain a sense of urgency. In that situation, procrastination itself becomes the pattern we must battle, as it robs us of the power to change our lives" (p. 143).
Could it be that we fail to motivate ourselves because of how we talk to ourselves about the outcomes of our actions?
If we try to motivate ourselves with fear-based messages and threats of negative outcomes, will another part of us push back?
If we set wildly positive goals, will another part of us feel overwhelmed and withdraw?
Perhaps procrastination is a kind of motivational gridlock, in which we talk to ourselves based on one set of needs, unwittingly setting in motion a countervailing set of needs.
If those parts of ourselves--those differing needs--could communicate with each other, perhaps there would be no gridlock. There would be congruence between our perceptions and our motivations.
More to come.
.
Posts
