Pam is the world’s biggest procrastinator. She makes promises to everyone but never manages to see them through. Her company president offers her a new career opportunity. Pam responds, “I can’t leave my old job. My boss needs me.” Pam always hesitates to make decisions. She never takes any risks. She never achieves her personal goals. Pam never pursues any of her dreams. She’s disgusted with life. She’s disgusted with herself. Pam wants more. As she waits to talk with a psychiatrist, Pam wonders why she can’t be happy.

What are you waiting for? Why aren’t you pursuing your dreams? You just sit and wait for something to happen. That’s procrastination. You don’t want to make a change because you feel you may make a mistake. It causes you to cheat yourself out of happiness. At some point, we have all procrastinated, not wanting to move on an action. You say, “Now is not the right time.” You take no action. People have different motivations for taking action. Taking action means taking a risk. Taking a risk may cause you fear. This process creates self-doubt. Self-limiting beliefs are doubts that you create about your abilities. They cause you to feel inferior. You feel like you don’t deserve the best. You allow others to set your expectations. When you think like this, there is no way to win. You create negative ideas that you aren’t smart enough, pretty enough, talented enough, connected enough, creative enough, or powerful enough. “I can’t” becomes your motto.

Armed with these beliefs, you wait, and wait, and wait, and wait, until—life passes you by. The more you repeat these self-limiting thoughts, the more you become trapped in your ways. Remember the definition of insanity: “doing the same thing that you always do and expecting something different to happen.” That’s a crazy way for anyone to live. Some people get caught up in this vicious circle. For example, New Year’s resolutions are a big tradition for Americans. As a new year begins, people start reflecting on the past and decide they are going to change. Most people want to accomplish something in life. A new year could spark a new beginning; however, it gives most people time to make excuses for unfulfilled dreams. Doesn’t this sound like a little bit of procrastination?

Stop generating self-doubt. Take action. Samuel Johnson said almost two centuries ago, “When a man knows he is to be hanged in a fortnight, he concentrates his mind wonderfully.” You need to wake up. Procrastinators try to put off until tomorrow what they should do today. However, you can change and move in a new direction. Use the following steps to move toward action: