Years ago, a friend shared a phrase I had never heard before. While explaining why she wasn’t completing an overwhelming task, she said, “Well, procrastination is the cloak of fear, after all!” I had never even considered fear as a part of procrastination. I have always thought, if I’m procrastinating, I’m just lazy. But ever since my friend made the connection for me between procrastination and fear, whenever I feel lost in the neighborhood of procrastination, I ask myself, “Mags, what might you be afraid of?” That question goes straight to the root of my dillydallying. And boy, it’s so much more productive when I choose to look deeper into why I might not be doing something, rather than berating myself for not doing something.

Most of my avoidance can be traced right back to my micromanaging, perfectionist, marty-like tendencies. When it comes to control, I often end up not being able to do anything because I feel like I just can’t do everything. In terms of perfection, I don’t want to even start something if I feel like I can’t do it exactly how I want it done. And with martyrdom, forget it! I never want to get back to people if my answer is, “no.” God forbid I disappoint someone!

But now, Team, I can reframe my procrastination. When I take the time to connect my delaying tactics to a specific fear, I can do something about it. A simple shift away from self-criticism to self-discovery leads to my favorite road: Compassion Alley! When I only see my procrastination as laziness, I pass judgment on myself and I go nowhere. When I unlock the reason for my avoidance, I uncover the truth. When I know my truth, I can face my truth. 

Acknowledging my fears isn’t an easy thing for me, but the more I practice doing so, the easier it gets and the better I feel about myself. I’m not saying I’m a SuperHero, I’m just saying that when I finally get around to imperfectly hanging those pictures that have been sitting in my closet for a year, I do kinda feel like I could fly. So, yes,“procrastination is the cloak of fear,” but that cloak can reveal what it’s hiding a lot quicker when I show myself a little love. A simple act of understanding can transform that ‘cloak of procrastination’ into a ‘cape of completion’!

Thanks for listening!