Slaying the Demon of Procrastination

I’m fighting the demon of procrastination. I turn to my words as fuel to help me slay the demon, whose grip has kept me beneath the surface of completion, kicking and screaming for dear life.

There are lessons to be learned in this battle. The demon of procrastination feeds off past insecurities, present fears, and concerns for a prosperous future. He has the ability to force me to make quick decisions that are not in my long-term best interests. He lies to me, tells me that I am something that I am not. He strips me of my motivation and desire, beats me to the verge of death with inaction, and drowns me in a to-do list of things that ultimately are not in line with my life’s work.

How do I slay this very powerful demon that I have fought for the majority of my life? In order to understand how much power the procrastination demon has upon my life, I need to go back to the first experiences of my life. Dredging my memories, I come across one from Teddy Bear Preschool, almost 30 years ago. Primarily recollected from my dad’s words, I recall the ability to take on too many projects and the inability to finish tasks one at a time. I remember my dad telling me about the preschool administrator saying to him that I needed to be taught to finish projects before starting new ones.

It is interesting how patterns for our adult lives can be traced back to childhood memories and uncorrected behaviors. Because of the inability to correct that behavior as a child, I am now forced to correct the behavior after 30 years of it wrapping its tentacles around the essence and core of my being. The demon of procrastination has become part of me, in many ways, it has become me. But the fighter, the warrior in me, though dormant, is gathering strength, ready to fight.

I grab hold of the sword of action, fighting to break free of laziness, sloth, and an overactive imagination.

I grip the shield of focus, protecting myself from the arrows of information.

I put on my armor of reason, protecting myself from the inevitable barrage of emotions that seek to get me to think with my heart instead of my head.

Finally, I put on my helmet of truth, seeking the wisdom and knowledge for a better future.

In order to slay the demon of procrastination, I need to finish projects, one at a time before taking on more. I must realize that I am a warrior that is fighting for a sustainable and worthwhile future for myself and my family. Ultimately, I need to fight for what I want. If that means that I fight for the completion of projects, so be it. But I fight nonetheless.

In retrospect, it could be said that this post was a form of procrastination, however, it has served its purpose: to build up the fighter within, fueling me towards starting the final leg of the project that needs completion.