Ian WarnerFirst, I want to be clear in stating that everyone procrastinates. The degree to which some procrastinate is what is different. I don’t personally consider myself to be a procrastinator but my wife is to the max and I always pay close attention her and from paying attention to her I have been able to catch some of my own procrastination habits. Procrastination can be beaten but you need to do a few things in order to make that happen.
Increase Your Awareness
You have to increase your awareness if you are going to beat the habit of procrastination. It’s not enough to assume that you understand everything about your procrastination. You may realize that you only [procrastinate for specific tasks or at certain times.
Start by writing down any time you procrastinate. You need to know:
- Task
- Time
- Date
- Your honest reasoning
The first three points are self-explanatory because they help you
to notice certain trends. Your honest reasoning is tougher. You have to think a bit deeper to figure this one out. If you need to write a paper and you don’t the easy answer is that you don’t feel like it. You can always say that.
Why don’t you feel like? Maybe because you don’t think you’re a good writer or because you think you write better under pressure. You need to keep asking yourself why until you get to the heart of the issue. You could procrastinate simply because you don’t think the work is that important.
If you can do this consistently even for a day or two, you will start noticing trends that can change your life. When I did this assignment , I discovered that I procrastinate when I have something important to do but Im not sure how, or when Im fearing failure. Creating an action plan to improve this became much easier.
I discovered that I procrastinate when I have something important to do but I’m not sure how, or when I’m fearing failure. Creating an action plan to improve this became much easier.
Improve Your Why
If you don’t have a why that motivates you to get up procrastination becomes easy. I want to open up centers around the world that help people to find and cultivate their gifts at any age. That is a big goal that is going to take a lot of time, money and passion to bring together. I don’t have time to waste. Every day is another chance to move closer to this.
When I procrastinate on Instagram or doing some random browsing, I remember this why and the fact that my current actions are not going to help me. Then I have a decision to make and if I choose to procrastinate then my why can’t be that important to me.
When you improve your why and you keep it front and center it forces you to get your actions in line. If you tell people that you have this massive goal, people are going to expect your actions to match. If not you end up looking like a fool and internally you will feel a tension that will not feel good.
When you improve your why and you keep it front and center it forces you to get your actions in line. If you tell people that you have this massive goal, people are going to expect your actions to match. If not you end up looking like a fool and internally you will feel a tension that will not feel good.
Immediate Reward and The Long Term Pain
When you are working on a massive goal it can be hard to motivate yourself to work because the reward feels so far away. When I was training for a track I knew I wanted to get a scholarship and make the Olympic team. When you are 14 training for an event that is not near you have to find different rewards. You keep the big reward in the back of your mind but I needed something right away. I changed the reward to that feeling you get after finishing a hard workout. Once I craved that feeling then practice became something I wanted every day because I loved the short term reward.
On the flip side, I would always focus on the long term pain of quitting or not showing up. I remember girls telling me to skip practice and come to their house. The short-term reward sounded great but the long term pain was knowing that I did not get the scholarship I wanted. The pain and disappointment of that was too much to bare. ‘
You can do this thing in your own life. Lock in on the reward that you want and when you are beginning to procrastinate focus on that. Focus on how much pain you will be in for not getting things done. When you are pushing off that workout think about the health problems you will have and how much pain you will be in.
So much of success is being able to zoom in and out of the future at the right times. You have to know how to use the short and long term to your advantage. You need both perspectives in order to get where your destination.
Focus on how much pain you will be in for not getting things done. When you are pushing off that workout think about the health problems you will have and how much pain you will be in.
The Mel Robbins 5- Second Rule
Mel Robbins has a book and videos called the 5-second rule and she has built her whole brand around this thing. The 5-second rule is the only reason I was able to do my 30 day cold shower challenge. Anytime I take cold showers now which is at least once a week I use this rule.
The 5- second rule is simple. You count down from 5 and when you get to 1 you jump in and do it. The count down helps to over ride the part of your brain that makes you hesitate. When you hesitate your brain starts to protect you because all day you do things without think and then all a sudden you’re second guessing yourself.
The 5-second rule is the best way to get in the game and get started! If you have a phoen call to make that you don’t want to make use the rule. If you don’t want to write that paper or hit that workout, use the rule. It will change your life!
The 5-second rule is the best way to get in the game and get started! If you have a phone call to make that you don’t want to make use of the rule. If you don’t want to write that paper or hit that workout, use the rule. It will change your life!
Get In The Habit of Doing It Now
Be a do it now type of person. There are so many small things that people put off during the day that could be done now. When I am doing focused work its why I need all my notifications turned off. The worst thing for me is to have something come up because I will do it now. I have trainined my self to think in this way.
Don’t do tomorrow what you could have done yesterday. Get it done and move It out of the way. When you procrastinate you just end up with a tonne of things weighting your mind down. You have to change your ways.
Here is the part of every lesson that people hate. There are no more hacks or strategies. By this point, you just have to decide to do it. You can do everything listed above and still decide to procrastinate. No one can hold your hands through it. You just have to do it!
LPWRITER
