Do you have difficulty finishing tasks?

Do you postpone tasks you should be working on?

Do you have several unfinished projects sitting heavy on your conscious?

Do you think you are a procrastinator?

If you are, I have good news for you.

We all procrastinate.

This is the way nature has built us. We are meant to stay in a relaxed state, the way all other animals do, only making an effort when we need to feed or protect ourselves. All the pressures we put on ourselves (goals, commitments, deadlines) are self-generated. So relax and be in your natural state. You will find you get more done this way.

𝗣𝗿𝗼𝗰𝗿𝗮𝘀𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗶𝘀 𝗮𝗻 𝗶𝗻𝗯𝘂𝗶𝗹𝘁 𝗺𝗲𝗰𝗵𝗮𝗻𝗶𝘀𝗺 𝗼𝗳 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗺𝗶𝗻𝗱 𝘁𝗼 𝘁𝗲𝗹𝗹 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝘀𝗼𝗺𝗲𝘁𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗴.

Your mind is telling you it’s not coming to the party because of one of the following reasons:

• 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝘁𝗮𝘀𝗸 𝗶𝘀 𝘁𝗼𝗼 𝗱𝗶𝗳𝗳𝗶𝗰𝘂𝗹𝘁 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝗻𝗼𝘁 𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗱𝘆 𝘁𝗼 𝘁𝗮𝗰𝗸𝗹𝗲 𝗶𝘁 𝘆𝗲𝘁.

I have been procrastinating over recording a course I outlined months ago. The reason for my procrastination is, I don’t feel comfortable in front of a camera. I know I will have to get over this inhibition one day, but I am not ready to tackle it yet.

• 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝘁𝗮𝘀𝗸 𝗶𝘀 𝗯𝗼𝗿𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗱𝗼𝗻’𝘁 𝗳𝗲𝗲𝗹 𝗺𝗼𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗱 𝘁𝗼 𝗱𝗼 𝗶𝘁.

Imagine if the task was lots of fun. Would you procrastinate?

This weekend my husband and I are driving for four hours to attend a birthday party, then driving straight back. That is 8 hours of driving in a day for a birthday dinner. We won’t reach home way past midnight.

But we are not procrastinating over that.

• 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝘁𝗮𝘀𝗸 𝗶𝘀 𝘂𝗻𝗶𝗺𝗽𝗼𝗿𝘁𝗮𝗻𝘁, 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝘄𝗮𝗻𝘁 𝘁𝗼 𝗱𝗲𝗹𝗮𝘆 𝗶𝘁.

Sometimes our mind doesn’t want to do a task it considers unimportant.

Ask yourself:
Do you really have to do it?
Can you eliminate it?
Can you delegate it?
Can you outsource it?

Last month, I struck off a whole lot of tasks from my To-Do list. I don’t want to do them anymore.

What can you strike off from your list?

• 𝗬𝗼𝘂 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝗮𝗳𝗿𝗮𝗶𝗱 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝘄𝗶𝗹𝗹 𝗱𝗼 𝗮 𝗽𝗼𝗼𝗿 𝗷𝗼𝗯.

Fear is the main reason most people procrastinate. They would keep putting off a task rather than tackle their fear and find a way to do the task. The way to handle your fear is to break the task into smaller chunks and address them one by one. If you lack the skills to do the task, you might want to start by building the skill set.

Procrastination doesn’t mean you are lazy or there is something wrong with you.

It means either you are not ready to do the task, or it’s not important (or boring) or you are afraid that you will do a poor job.

𝗣𝗿𝗼𝗰𝗿𝗮𝘀𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗶𝘀 𝗹𝗮𝗿𝗴𝗲𝗹𝘆 𝗮𝗻 𝗲𝗺𝗼𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝗮𝗹 𝗶𝘀𝘀𝘂𝗲.

You got to address it.

The consequences of not doing so are heavy.

Because:
• It causes mental suffering.
• It leads to guilt and shame.
• It makes you constantly blame yourself.
• And most of all you don’t reach your full potential.

Today I am going to give you strategies to eliminate procrastination from your dictionary forever.

Three ways you can beat procrastination:

1. 𝗨𝘀𝗲 𝟱-𝗦𝗲𝗰𝗼𝗻𝗱 𝗥𝘂𝗹𝗲

Mel Robbins, in her book “5 Second Rule,” argues there is only one rule when it comes to productivity, success, or getting everything you ever wanted – you have to do something whether you feel like it or not.

You have 5 seconds from the moment you have an idea to the moment you take action. If you fail to act within these five seconds, your mind will talk you out of it. The nature of the mind is to prevent us from doing anything scary or tiring.

For example, you have five seconds to introduce yourself to someone you want to talk to, send an important email, or ask a question. Make a list of things you procrastinate over. Now select a couple of things and apply the 5-Second Rule. Commit to using the rule at least once a day.

2. 𝗥𝗲𝘄𝗿𝗶𝘁𝗲 𝗬𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗦𝘁𝗼𝗿𝘆

Look at your excuses. They are just the story you have created to avoid the task you don’t want to do. For example, we often say to ourselves that we don’t have time to do the task.

Create a more empowering story to neutralize your excuses. “I’ll find and make time for whatever I’m committed to.” “I have control over my mind and I have more energy than I imagine. When I schedule a task I complete it.”

Create affirmations or mantras around your new story. Repeat them to yourself every morning and throughout the day until they become part of your identity.

Reprogram your mind to build a habit of working on the tasks you schedule whether you feel like it or not.

3. 𝗕𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗸 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗧𝗮𝘀𝗸 𝗜𝗻𝘁𝗼 𝗦𝗺𝗮𝗹𝗹𝗲𝗿 𝗖𝗵𝘂𝗻𝗸𝘀

Perhaps the task is too big or too difficult? Your mind wants to avoid pain as long as possible. If that is the case, restructure the task into smaller bits and then focus on just one bit at a time, ticking it off the list as you complete it.

Accomplishing even little bits that take you closer to finishing the task will motivate you. When you are excited about a goal you don’t run away from it.

𝘖𝘯𝘭𝘺 𝘱𝘶𝘵 𝘰𝘧𝘧 𝘶𝘯𝘵𝘪𝘭 𝘵𝘰𝘮𝘰𝘳𝘳𝘰𝘸 𝘸𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘢𝘳𝘦 𝘸𝘪𝘭𝘭𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘵𝘰 𝘥𝘪𝘦 𝘩𝘢𝘷𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘭𝘦𝘧𝘵 𝘶𝘯𝘥𝘰𝘯𝘦. – 𝘗𝘢𝘣𝘭𝘰 𝘗𝘪𝘤𝘢𝘴𝘴𝘰