Do you have difficulty finishing tasks?
Do you postpone tasks you should work 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 stay in a relaxed state, the way all other animals do, only trying 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.
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 in 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 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’re afraid that you’ll 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, 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 for productivity, success, or getting everything you ever wanted – you have to do something whether you feel like it.
You have 5 seconds from the moment you have an idea to the moment you take action. If you cannot 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 or not you feel like it.
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.