4 Ways to Put and end to your Procrastination
We’ve all done it at some time or other. I’m totally guilty of putting off exercise until “tomorrow”; some continually delay finishing that project or starting that business (this one may have served me actually, lol).
Anyway, procrastination is often a huge cause of self-judgments and can literally stop you in your tracks from achieving all that you desire. Ironically, it is often caused to protect you (if that doesn’t make sense, contact me - we need to talk!)
Here are 4 strategies we can play with to see if you can tame the beast.
Do it now
Hold your breath and jump right in! Putting things off until the last minute is a bad habit and like all habits is ingrained in our subconscious mind and hard to break. It feels like the normal thing to do and we simply continue along our path. To complete a task immediately may even feel strange or like a forced action. Keep practicing - it could become your norm. And even if not, at least things will likely get a lot better.
Take baby steps
Sometimes we procrastinate because the task may be intimidating to us. Perhaps we have no possible inkling on where to start. In these cases, it is quite fine to take it one tiny little step at a time and even to ask someone to hold your hand while you take those steps. Say you are preparing a business plan and for the 5th time this week, you’ve turned on the PC and looked at the blank screen. Or you’ve just remembered you need to do some more research before you begin…you’re still not ready. It is probably a bigger project than how you have been breaking it down. Try to break down the project into even smaller pieces and tackle each bit separately. Make each task an individual project and after completion of each one, celebrate and acknowledge your achievement.
Forget it
Why force the issue? If you have been ‘dragging your feet on something for a very long time, it may all be for the best. Maybe something somewhere is trying to tell you something. That something is your intuition and it is usually right! Think about something that you have been putting off again and again and again. What are the reasons that you need to complete this task in the first place? Does someone want you to do this? What is THEIR agenda? What are YOUR reasons for this lengthy delay? I find it amazing that 99% of the time I put off doing something, I am thankful that I did! Disregarding a project after a long period of procrastination is however usually a last resort. I suggest deeper questioning before opting for this since it may also be the subconscious trying to keep you away from growth.
Support team
Do you put off tasks because you feel that they are too big and complex for you to handle alone? Or because you need assistance? Be honest with yourself. “No man is an island”. Ask for help! There are many resources out there that can provide you with all you need to carry out your job. If you’re a solo-professional and you put off answering emails, then don’t answer them yourself. Hire an assistant, find some college students that want experience, get a family member to help. Procrastinating on life changing activities could be as a result of fear of the unknown. Get a mastermind group together, find a mentor, join a support group. You don’t have to do it all by yourself. Just ensure that to kick this habit; you do what feels good to you in whatever method you choose. You’ll surely postpone procrastination for a very long time.