The Anatomy of Procrastination Has this ever happened to you? You had a to-do list for after work - simple enough stuff -a couple of loads of laundry,pay two or three bills and afterwards catch the spin class at the gym.
Then you get home and you could swearthat pile of laundry has grown since this morning.
Some of your get-up-and-go just got up and went...
It would be easy enough to at least grab those towels and drop them into the washer but- you just don't.
Instead, you plunk down in front of the computer but somehow you don't end up as planned on the bank website but on Facebook.
A few postings and a funny video later and you have missed your cardio class...
The Invisible Hand Sure, you were tired but not that tired.
What was it that stopped you? It was almost as if an invisible hand had reached out and stopped you from doing what you set out to do.
What is this phenomenon we call procrastination? How could it be that You wanted to do something and then You stopped yourself from doing it? It's not as if you had changed your mind; made a decision that it didn't need doing.
You wanted to get it done and then somehow YOU prevented yourself from doing it.
How can this be? What is this insanity? Do you have a split personality? Sherlock Holmes said that after you consider all the facts the remaining option, no matter how improbable, must be the right one.
The explanation that remains is this: There Are Two Of You As crazy as it might sound, this explanation does indeed come pretty close to hitting the nail on the head.
What's more is that the realization that there are two of you can free you from procrastination forever.
There are two of you -one is your Consciousness and the other is your ego.
In my book, The Iceberg Principles, I explain that you are not your body.
The body is merely the vehicle that carries you around.
Much like your car carries you around but you are not your car.
Some extremely ego-driven types are strongly identified with the car they drive.
A part of them believes that they would be nothing if not for their snazzy ride.
Fact is though that they are the person within that car, not the car.
If something happened to their car they would be inconvenienced but they would still be exactly who they were.
Same with your body, say you had an accident and lost a limb, life would be different for you but you would still be exactly the same person you were before.
You would have the same character, the same likes and dislikes, the same talents and strengths because YOU are not your body.
Your body is just the vehicle for the Presence within.
The "Computer" Just like your car has a computer that runs it your body also has a computer: it is called the intellect.
The intellect runs the body's physical functions, gathers, analyzes and stores information and it even provides navigation services.
The intellect, however, has one function that your car's computer does not: it is sentient.
Your intellect is aware of its existence that's why it is called the ego - from the Latin word for I.
The ego, being aware of itself, wants to live.
It is painfully aware that one day it will end.
It knows that it will die and it does everything in its power to delay the inevitable by attempting to keep the body as immobile and safe as possible.
Ego 'Thinks' It Knows Best Just as your car's computer can only tell you about your car, your ego knows only about your physical self.
It knows nothing of the invisible Consciousness that you really are.
The ego knows nothing of your gifts and talents and strengths.
It doesn't know that you are connected to a higher purpose and have a reason for being.
The ego knows nothing of your innermost hopes and dreams.
That's why whenever you make an attempt to follow your heart and 'go for it', a voice pops up making fun of you for even wanting to try.
Pretty much if you want to do anything other than be a couch potato, the ego will attempt to put the kibosh on the idea ASAP.
That's what you feel as procrastination.
It is the ego which prevents You from doing what You set out to do.
Stop Procrastination Forever It is most important to remember that you are NOT the ego.
Your ego is your body's computer, nothing more.
There is no way to turn off the intellect, nor would you want to.
Your personal computer maintains your body and sometimes it provides you with very useful and necessary information.
But the most important thing to remember is this: The ego is not in charge.
You Are! When you are aware that there are two of you you're no longer helplessly exposed to the ego's tricks.
When you are aware of Who You Really Are you begin to honor yourself.
You learn to follow your intuition, which the voice of the heart, your true voice and then you are never misled.
Best of all you won't make yourself wait to do the things that you really want to do.