Have you ever thought to yourself, “I have so much to do,” and then find yourself sitting on the couch aimlessly scrolling Instagram?

SAME HERE, boo boo.

Becoming overwhelmed with a pile of to-do’s and, in turn, avoiding the work is summed up into one U-G-L-Y word: procrastination.

>>Procrastination is our mind’s way of putting a problem in a little box, locking it up, and storing it in the darkest corner of our closet so we can try and forget about it.<<

The only problem, Buttercup? Chances are, whatever’s in that little box can’t be forgotten and eventually needs to come out.

I’m only able to paint this pretty picture for you because I’m guilty of this, too.

• Do I avoid a task by scrolling Instagram? YES!
• Have I mindlessly channel-surfed when I should’ve been doing something productive? UH-HUH!
• Does flipping through a trashy magazine consume my time a little too much? WHO DOESN’T LOVE A GOOD US WEEKLY?!

Now that we’ve established that everyone procrastinates *and that I might have a slight obsession with Us Weekly*, let me speak some harsh truth:

>>Procrastination is the highest form of selfishness.<<

*Sometimes the truth hurts, doesn’t it?*

The minute that I’m tempted to hide something away in that little procrastination box is the minute that I say TIME OUT so I can remind myself of these three things.

1. Every minute wasted is robbing others from our greatest purpose

Whenever you find yourself procrastinating, don’t think of yourself; think of the people that you are intended to serve. They are missing out on your greatest purpose when you make the choice to waste time.

Don’t let fear hold you back from pursuing your purpose.

However big, crazy, and ridiculous your dream may be, by simply showing up, doing the work, and serving people well, I believe your success is a foregone conclusion, boo boo. 

2. Done is better than perfect

Let me deal it to you straight: Perfection is just procrastination in disguise.

Friend, in case you missed the memo, NOTHING is perfect. Trying to make something perfect is just saying, “I’m not actually ready to put this out yet.” So, while you’re trying to do #allthethings to make something perfect, please know that it doesn’t exist and you’re wasting valuable time. Just DO it!

3. There’s a difference between rest and procrastination

Giving yourself time and space to relax is 100% necessary. We require rest just like we need food and water!

*But* there is a fine line between resting and procrastinating, and sometimes that line gets blurry.

Making a cognizant effort to pencil in time to relax is much different than avoiding something. Knowing the difference can make you more conscious of your actions in the future.

Friend, we *all* procrastinate to some capacity at one point or another. It’s simply human nature!

What we can’t do is let it consume us. We must unlock that little box, throw away the key, and GET STUFF DONE.

Who’s with me?!