Procrastination is when you are not doing what you need to be doing when you know you need to do it.
It’s putting things off because in the short term because it’s easier, it’s more comfortable, it’s more certain, it’s more pleasurable and more indulgent than doing something else than it is to do the actual work to create the things that matter when they are needed.
On today’s episode, I’ve got three ideas to help you overcome our human tendency to procrastinate so you don’t have to feel overburdened by what you’ve been putting off!
Have you felt resistance?
I’m not talking about the kind of resistance you get from one of your kids when you ask them to clean their room.
Resistance is defined by Steven Pressfield as, “the universal force that acts against human creativity, a negative force in the world that keeps you from fulfilling your dreams.”
I have felt this, have you?
Resistance ALWAYS comes up when you are on a mission to do something important.
It can come out as procrastination.
All of us do this.
But did you know that you can set yourself up to do it less?
Procrastination is a pattern of how you have taught yourself to deal with:
Insecurity
Randomness
Or Worry
You can deal with this pattern by addressing it, recognizing it and flip it!!
I recently heard Brendan Burchard teach about procrastination.
He is a great teacher about Time Management and I have learned a lot from him.
I’d like to share with you today, 3 tips he shared so we can minimize procrastination the next time we recognize we’re doing it.
3 Tips to Minimize Procrastination by Brendan Burchard
1: Find Your Worry and Debate It
Procrastination is usually tied to worry.
I’d never thought about it like this and I think it’s brilliant.
When I procrastinate, I’m usually:
-worried that it won’t turn out as good as I want it to
-worried it’s going to be too hard and I can’t handle it.
-worried that I don’t really know what to do and I’m going to mess it up or fail
When you feel yourself procrastinating, sit down with your journal and ask yourself:
What am I worried about? Then let the words come.
Be honest. Let unconscious worries come up.
Stop blaming the “task” you are trying to do and address the worry.
Bring the worry into your awareness, then you can address it and find reasons why you don’t need to worry and show yourself that it is something you can handle.
What are you procrastinating?
What might you be worried about that’s preventing you from getting started?
Tell your journal! It won’t judge you.
The writing allows you to flip the worries into things that are actually more possible and feel more positive.
What if it actually turns out better than you ever imagined instead of believing all the negative things that might happen?
What if you learn a new skill that brings you so much joy?
What if you become that new version of yourself you’ve always dreamed of?
What if you can help others?
When you address the worry with positive “What if” statements instead of negative ones, it allows you to see that the opposite is just as possible.
And doesn’t that feel so much better!
When you focus on the positive that could happen instead of the negative, your brain automatically starts looking for reasons to prove itself right.
Why let it look for the negative things that hold you back?
That is another reason I love journaling.
2: Block schedule Time In To Do It
Many of us procrastinate because were’re overwhelmed with the randomness in you life.
Randomness of when you’ll get things done is what causes uneasiness of the mind.
And that is taking away your confidence.
Get that confidence back by structuring your time.
Thinking you’ll do it “someday” is the beginning of procrastination.
Schedule it in so it’s always there!
That’s how the most important things happen.
Set notifications and alarms to keep you accountable!
Use a paper planner and write it down.
Be honest with how you are using your time.
I know you’ve tried to fight planning out your time.
People give me reasons all the time why they don’t need to plan out what needs to get done.
Then, when they finally give in and give it a try, I see peace come into their life because they don’t have to hold all the information in their memory. It’s written out and randomness is let go!
3: Prepare and Step It Through
Make time to plan out your projects once a week.
Write out the steps to do each project. Make them into small, doable steps.
See the steps all the way to the end of your project, then you’ll know beforehand how it will get done.
This is where you’ll get CLARITY about how to do it. That’s when you see clearly how it can be done.
Your mind has to see how it CAN get done, then you won’t question that it is possible.
Knowing the next 3 steps is not enough! Your mind has to see it through to completion.
Then, the day before you start your project or the next phase of the project, sit down and plan out when you’ll do each step.
It’s more than a to-do list.
Create the BIG steps and the timeline they need to get done.
Then break down the Big steps into smaller tasks.
Then break it down into daily to-do’s.
It’s not always fun to do this BUT it does help you not to procrastinate.
It’s hard to act when you can’t see the complete picture.
Imagine doing a one-thousand-piece puzzle without seeing the picture.
Once the main parts get put together it helps drive you to finish it.
The project plan doesn’t have to be perfect at first, it’s more important to have it complete and then you can make adjustments as you go.
That’s why Weekly Planning is so important.
When you know the major things you want to accomplish that week, you can break it down into the smaller tasks.
It helps you to see the big picture, but you won’t get overwhelmed because you can’t see where you’re headed.
It’s helped me so much to break down my big projects into small tasks. I don’t get stuck and never start because I can do this one little thing even if the BIG thing seems too hard.
It even helps me to be more excited to start my week because I know what I’m working towards and that I don’t have to tackle everything all at once.
I even suggest visualizing yourself doing it.
Look Forward to how you will live your day.
Close your eyes and imagine yourself doing it all the way to the end.
It doesn’t take as long as you think it will and it really helps your brain not fight against you.
Looking Forward is one of the Systems that I teach in Camp Connection.
It has been powerful in helping me do things that I have procrastinated for YEARS!
It has helped me to do things that scare me.
It has helped me become the type of person that does what she says she is going to do.
I know that you want to be that kind of person too.
Camp Connection is a 5day workshop that gives you powerful tools that go in what I call the “First-aid Kit”.
Each tool helps you with thought patterns that hold you back and add to the feelings of overwhelm that are a natural part of life.
I have broken it down into a morning routine to get your mind into a more positive pattern so you can feel the purpose in your life to keep you moving forward.
It has helped me to change from a person that used to just sit in my chair and think about all the things I should be doing but not having enough energy to get up and do it, into a person that decides what’s most important to ME and has the desire to do them!
I’d love to share Camp Connection with you. REGISTER at Hunkeedori.com/Camp
Register today or before May 9, 2023 and you’ll get this amazing workshop AND the following bonuses:
Bonus #1: $25 OFF CAMP CONNECTION by entering 25OFF at checkout
Bonus #2: Get the Self-Commitment Workshop & Planner FREE when you register for Camp Connection
Bonus #3: $20 refund for each friend that registers for Camp Connection because it’s always more fun to take a class with a friend!
Bonus #4: Receive a full refund for Camp Connection (That’s for the FULL price which is $97 even if you got the $25 off and if you got refunds for friends joining) when you enroll in the Uniquee Connection Method Course
If you’ve already registered for Camp Connection in April of 2023, you’ll still get all of these bonuses!
It’s a great time to take it AND it is going to help you to become less of a procrastinator and more of the person you know you are inside.
Imagine being able to share with those in your life that are cheering for you that you did what you set out to do.
It will help you to feel so much more self-confident and It helps you develop even more confidence.
It helps you to feel proud of YOU!
Yes, it’s nice to get “at-a-girls” from your people. But when it comes from YOU… you know how absolutely authentic that is.
You are always worthy.
But feeling proud of yourself for the things you accomplish is a wonderful cherry on top!
Thanks for joining me here today and remember:
I see you. I understand how hard you’re trying, and I’d like to help however I can.
Have a wonderful day and I’ll see you back here next week.