Did you know that 15%-20% of adults procrastinate? Are you one of them? Chronic procrastination is the secret enemy of buying a home. While you can certainly poke fun at the “celebration” of checking something off the list, here are some real-life ideas to change your procrastination habits.
What is Productive Procrastination?
Sometimes we fool ourselves by staying busy but not doing what needs to get done. This is called productive procrastination. You’re still completing practical tasks, but delaying the crucial things. For example, maybe you need to work on your tax return, but you set up your next dentist appointment instead. While the dentist appointment is also essential, your tax return is the primary task.
Procrastination is an especially big deal when it comes to buying a home. Often we see people who need to get all of their financial information in order but put it off until it’s too late or they’re rushing to “cross t’s” and “dot i’s” at the end. This can result in incomplete or inaccurate data. But procrastination doesn’t have to be the default setting!
Find an Accountability Partner
Step one is to find an accountability partner. This doesn’t mean someone who is standing over your shoulder making sure you do your job, but rather someone who also has tasks to accomplish. Even if these are different tasks, just knowing that you both have a deadline and can encourage each other is helpful to get your work completed.
Reward Yourself
Never downplay the benefits of reward systems. Humans love to be rewarded for their excellent work, so even if you have to take matters into your own hands be sure that you recognize your own hard work. Let’s say you’re gathering all of the documents you need for your mortgage lender. You’ve cross-checked the list, and you have everything you need. That’s terrific news! Now you can go for a jog or out for drinks with your friends.
Forgive Yourself
Try as we may, no one is perfect. That means sometimes we put off tasks longer than we should and face the consequences for that. It’s vital that we learn to forgive ourselves. If we miss a deadline, spiraling into anger or sadness won’t help you go back and fix your error. Now is the time to show yourself a little grace and move forward.
Change your Internal Self-Talk
Procrastination is a common side effect of anxiety or depression. That’s why forgiveness is an essential aspect of overcoming procrastination. But we also have to shift our internal self-talk. Beating ourselves up by thinking we’re stupid or lazy isn’t going to solve the problem. Instead, know that you aren’t your anxiety or procrastination habits. They are simply thoughts, and you can change your internal messaging. To correct this, permit yourself to be human, take a step back, and figure out how to move forward, starting right now.
Are you ready to stop procrastinating and start the pre-approval process?
Call Zachery Adam at GoPrime Mortgage in West Asheville today!
