Are you a snoozer?  I'm not talking about your morning alarm, although that habit may correlate.  Do you procrastinate key tasks, projects and goals?  Today, I found myself looking over my 2012 goals, and preparing for 2013.  Although I feel good about overall direction and achievements on most fronts, there were several goals that entailed projects that I didn't get to.  So I snoozed them for 2013, which seems like a reasonable and innocent move; however, upon further reflection, I recognize the dangers inherent in snoozing goals repeatedly, whether it's on a daily, weekly or annual basis.  At some point, our subconscious stops respecting us and doesn't believe the part of us that is setting these goals.

Here is a good example of this phenomenon, that ironically brings the snoozing analogy full circle.

Sometimes when I go to bed at night, I have a certain vision for the next day.  It could sound something like this in my mind's eye – “I'm going to get up early, go for a run, make a healthy breakfast, meditate and map out my whole day in a state of peace.  It's going to be a productive day.”  I can FEEL that possibility, and visualize it with satisfaction.  Then, in the morning, when the alarm goes off, there is a different feeling.  In fact, there is a different part of me – a different “I” – that is in the driver's seat.  The temptation to hit snooze, and skip the morning workout, is suddenly quite high.  The Procrastination Bug is wide awake, and he wants me not to be awake – “go back to bed, you're still so tired” he whispers in my ear, and my tired bones seem to respond to this message.  Who wins this little internal conflict?  Is there an internal Leader present to help make a logical decision, or is he on vacation?

This little temptation can be a microcosm of our entire lives if we are not able to build enough will power to follow through with our plans, in spite of internal resistance and external interference.  There are always good excuses available for snoozing particular goals.  Just remember that snoozing can become a very addictive habit, and one that is not easy to break free from as we continue to feed this powerful Procrastination Bug.  Let's make a New Year's Resolution for 2013 to limit or eliminate Goal Snoozing altogether.  It's easier said than done; but if we start with a realistic self-assessment, and set attainable, challenging and engaging goals, that's a strong first step.