Procrastinating again?

What exactly is procrastination?

Google dictionary says: procrastination is the action of delaying or postponing something.

Too simplistic, right?

No worries, I’ve got you covered. I’ve done some more research for you... and for me. Yes, I’m guilty too.

I DO procrastinate … sometimes

You know what I call it? Please don’t laugh at me:

-My way of finding inspiration.

I know, I’m just justifying myself.

But you know what? There’s nothing to be ashamed about. We all tend to procrastinate. We simply cannot be productive all the time.

What’s behind your procrastination?

-Simple laziness?

-Fatigue?

-Irresponsibility?

-Fear of failure, fear of imperfection or of not being good enough?

-Indecisiveness?

-Avoidance?

-Trouble to focus?

-Not ready to tackle the challenge (need more time to prepare or think about it)?

-Anxiety around decision making?

-When you don’t even know where to start?

-Lack of motivation?

-Too much distraction?

-Poor time management?

-Mental weakness?

-Bad habit?

There might be a lot of different reasons behind your procrastination. You name it...

Yes, it is important to understand WHY we procrastinate.

But it’s also very important to know WHAT TO DO when procrastination becomes a problem (a bad habit).

Here’s what works for me:

1. First of all, ask yourself: WHY do I procrastinate? What’s the root cause of my procrastination? When you identify the underlying cause of you procrastination, you can develop solutions and strategies to overcome it.

2. Forgive yourself for procrastinating. Give yourself permission to be imperfect. It’s OK! You’re just human. Let go of guilt and shame. Embrace your feelings.

3. Take responsibility for your actions and behavior. Believe you CAN change it!

4. Begin with the end in mind (S.R. Covey). What’s your big picture? Where do you want to end up? How will you feel about yourself when you complete this project/task? See it. Feel it.

5. Then take some time to create a plan (or just a simple to-do-list)

6. GET STARTED! Yes, just get started! I like to use “the 2-minute rule”( I call it the 5-minute rule): make it as easy as possible to start. For example, just open Powerpoint and design your first slide. Just put your shoes on if you want to hit the gym. Organize your working space, etc.

7. … usually the rest follows.

A piece of cake, right?

Talking about cake, I forgot the most important final step: REWARD yourself when you complete a task

P.S.: By the way, a big piece of cake as a reward sounds appealing , doesn’t it? Boooo, I’m “on a diet”... Hopefully, there are many other ways to reward yourself !