Outsmart Procrastination

Has this ever happened to you?  Not so long ago I would block off time on my calendar to write content for social media posts but never get to it.   There were some days where I just didn’t want to get started, so I told myself I’ll do it tomorrow when I’m more motivated.   But that always made me feel worse.

The problem is, if we wait until we are really motivated to do the dreaded task, we may never get to it.

So how do we overcome procrastination once and for all?  Try these steps:

• Become aware of what tasks you tend to put off
• What thoughts and feelings come up?
• What do you need to resolve to move forward?
• Create an action plan
• Take one small step
• Tell someone about your plan

What are you putting off?

Make a list of the tasks and projects that you are putting off.  Is there a common theme?  Do you tend to procrastinate more in late afternoons when you have less energy?  Become aware of your patterns around procrastination. 

What thoughts and feelings come up when you think about starting?

When you think about getting started, what is the first thought that comes to mind?  Maybe the project seems too complex or too boring.  Maybe you think you don’t have the skills to do a good job.  Maybe you’re concerned about what others will think.  Become aware of any thoughts and feelings that come up and write them down. 

Acknowledge your feelings

Tim Pychyl, the author of Solving the Procrastination Puzzle, says that we don’t have to feel like doing a task in order to get started.  You may be feeling a level of stress or resentment everytime you think about cleaning out your garage, for example.  According to Pychl, it’s perfectly OK to feel that way –  just get started anyway.  Research has shown that once we get started on a task we’ve been putting off, we automatically feel better.  

How can you make it interesting?

What is one thing you need to resolve to get started?  Maybe you feel like the task is boring.  How can you make it more fun?  How will completing this project make you feel?  

Just get started

Often it’s not doing the actual work that keeps us up at night, it’s the idea of doing the work.  How do we solve that?  Create an action plan and break it down into small steps.  Set a timer and work on one small step at a time.  I’ll guarantee you will feel a little weight lifted off already. 

Lastly, tell someone your plan and have them hold you accountable. “ Research studies have shown that publicly committing your goals to someone gives you at least a 65% chance of completing them. However, having a specific accountability partner increases your chance of success to 95%.” 

If you’d like an accountability partner, reach out to me at lisa@lisademarcocoaching.com.

Accountability Partners Are Great. But “Success” Partners Will Change Your Life. | by Benjamin Hardy, PhD | Medium