Procrastination

​Procrastination is defined as "delaying or postponing something."

We generally procrastinate and delay doing something that we know we need to do.

When it comes to our horsemanship, the root cause of the procrastination often comes down to fear.

We procrastinate riding or working with our horse because we are afraid. We are afraid of what our horse might do. We are afraid of what other people might think if they see us ride. We are afraid of not being seen as a "good" rider. We are afraid that we might ask our horse to do something, and it not be correct. So we don't ride. We don't take the lesson. We don't go to the clinic. We don't enter the show.

And because we procrastinated, we didn't get better. We didn't get to meet people who could help us. We didn't learn. We didn't improve our skills or our horse's skills. At best, we hit a plateau. More likely, when we procrastinate, we actually step backwards, losing confidence in ourselves and our horse.

​I first saw Breakaway Roping at a WRCA Rodeo in January, 2019, and thought, "I want to try that!" 

I procrastinated until February, 2022. I made excuses. And sure, there were some good reasons why I didn't get started in there too (like a pandemic). But mostly, I was afraid. I was afraid I wouldn't be good at it. I was afraid Breezy wouldn't be able to do it. I was afraid he would misbehave. (Spoiler alert-he did. He bucked the first time we tried to rope a calf out of the box. I laughed.) I was afraid people would think poorly of me if I wasn't good at it.

No more. No more procrastination. No more excuses. I took action. I asked for help. I attended a clinic. I am regularly going to roping practices. I am roping the dummy at home. I am amazed at how quickly I am picking up this sport, and I am having so much fun with Breezy learning. I figured it would be the end of summer before I would back into the roping box and actually catch a calf! Along the way, I have found a super supportive group of people to ride with. They don't judge when Breezy gets excited. They don't judge when I miss-rather they offer tips to improve. They cheer every time I catch. If I had procrastinated, I would have missed out on all of this!

So when you find yourself procrastinating and thinking (or saying) "I'll do that later," instead ask yourself, "What am I afraid of happening if I did that now?"

The answer might surprise you...and it's also the thing you need to address to move forward on your horse dreams.

Get Gritty,
​
Chevy