Procrastination Nation

I've been bombarded with this idea of procrastination ever since last Sunday. The guest speaker mentioned that we often fall into a "performance trap", needing to reach perfectionism. I was thinking about these words throughout the week and whether they are true for myself or not. Then I fell into a CBC radio broadcast about how our nation is FAR more familiar with procrastination now than even 5 years ago.

What I've discovered is that my procrastinating tendencies stem from my perfectionism. I hold onto this false truth that I need to be able to finish what I'm going to start, and that I need to know that it'll be done right before I allow myself to start trying.

Need some examples? At work, if I know I can't finish something before the end of the day, I often won't start. I can't start glueing things to a scrapbook page unless I have every detail in place. I can't encourage myself to keep up with my guitar playing because I can't see the finish line.

Perfectionism Defeats Initiative.

"If you wait for the perfect conditions, you'll never get anything done." Eccl. 11:4 (LB)

The truth is that God gives us the grace to try and fail. I know that I cannot complete anything on my own, so why am I continuously expecting myself to be perfect. I need to rely on God's grace.

"You began you life in Christ by the Spirit. Now are you trying to make it complete by your own power?" Gal. 3:3 (NCV)

I need to accept my limitations and realize that God sent his son so that I don't have to try to be perfect. Only then can I free myself from procrastination. I have eliminated my need for perfection, allowing me to take initiative in my life. It gives me the mental strength to do something, as oppose to nothing.

Obviously the change of mind frame doesn't happen overnight, but it certainly gives me something to think about the next time I'm procrastinating/daydreaming.