How Do I Stop Procrastinating?
I don’t think I have ever written a newsletter article other than when I have been offering Life Coaching deals that has generated as many e-mail responses as my article on beating procrastination in Mays newsletter.
It didn’t really surprise me that it struck a chord with so many people because as a Life Coach I have had clients coming to me with procrastination issues for the last 6 years.
It seems a very large percentage of people procrastinate on dealing with important tasks until the deadline is looming large.
I’m not going to repeat the post here because that would be redundant, and anyway, you can read it by signing up for my newsletter if you really want to.
However, on the back of the post I did film a short video explaining the principles behind it and you can watch that below.
The e-mail responses I got were largely follow up questions along the lines of this one:
“That’s all well and good Tim, but what can I do to stop procrastinating on all my tasks and not just the really important ones?”
Let me think carefully about this and how I may best frame the response to make sure I don’t disappoint you.
You can’t!
The Myth About Procrastinating
Procrastination is a human condition that Life Coaches, and even more shockingly, Productivity Coaches, suffer from.
And the reason we do so is because we are hard wired to choose pleasure over pain whenever possible.
Therefore, getting your brain to do something it associates with pain (and by that I mean anything you don’t enjoy) whilst turning its back on something more enjoyable takes a lot of emotional energy.
That emotional energy is finite and as such there will be times when you are running low and procrastination is the easiest option.
I sometimes procrastinate over writing client notes up until the end of the day, but so what? It’s not a big deal as long as I get the job done, and I always do.
I often procrastinate about unloading the dishwasher, but so what? I don’t enjoy emptying dishwashers, but the dishwasher always gets unloaded before the end of the day.
I frequently procrastinate on scooping dog poop until I realize the guy is coming to mow the lawn, but so what? I don’t want the poor guy to get splattered with it, so I go and do it then.
The deal is not that you procrastinate, but that you stress about procrastinating.
And then feel like there’s something wrong with you because you do it.
There really isn’t!
If you suffer from genuinely crippling procrastination, even on important tasks, then the method I explain in the video and newsletter will come in useful. However, it’s not meant to be used multiple times per day.
For the trivial stuff you procrastinate over I recommend a daily dose of chilling, deep breathing and a general acceptance that you’re not a weirdo who can’t get their shit together, but a perfectly normal Human Being.
Best Piece Of Self Development Advice
I’m still looking for your best piece of self development advice for a blog post coming next week.
And remember somebody will get either an hour of my time or a $25 Amazon Gift Card and every one I publish will get a link back to their website presuming they have one.
Image: ‘Taking A Nap After Waking Too Early’ Courtesy of m01229
Just signed up and I’m enjoying your blogs immensely. Ferrets, dog poop, and ducks … happy days.
I’ve found that procrastination can some times be a good thing e.g. I’ve often procrastinated about giving up on something, and only to have it succeed while I’ve been pfaffing about giving it up.
And I’ve always loved the quote from the sci-fi comedy movie “Galaxy Quest” – Never give up, never surrender! My motto.
One thing that really helped me one day was when I read a quote by Mike Litman. It goes, “you don’t have to get it right, you just have to get it going.” I procrastinated because I wanted everything to be perfect before I would do something with it. When, in fact, somethings are better to start and make adjustments along the way.
Excellent quote, thanks for that Anthony!
Hi Tim,
Great explanation & Great to ‘see & hear’ you.
Thanks for sharing
David
Sexy accent, huh? ;-)
I typed a comment, thought I hit “submit comment”but nothing has appeared. I am writing the comment again, but if it shows up twice (Or some variation of it…there you have it…
I agree with you wholeheartedly, Tim! I think we tend to pathologize a great deal that does not need to be given the amount of focus and energy we give it. It really matters whether what we do interferes significantly with our quality of life and joy, not necessarily when we get some arbitrary task done! Good Grief!
I absolutely agree with you, Tim! We love to make trouble for ourselves by pathologizing everything…I tend to use the rule of whether something seriously interferes with the functioning…shall I say joyous functioning…of our lives, rather than whether in a perfect world we might choose to have every single duck in a neat little row behaving themselves. If something is not a big deal, let’s not make it so! Thanks, Tim!
It would get boring too with all the little fellas lined up in perfect cohesion. Ducks refusing to get in line is never a big deal ;-)
I think some people can be “addicted” to the suffering itself and they procrastinate because it’s a way to keep creating the situation they’re used to and comfortably uncomfortable with (if you know what I mean?). It’s their stasis, their equilibrium and they’ll take the familiar suffering over the unfamiliar success any day.
Not that I knew anyone like that, or anything. It was this friend of mine.
That is without doubt true. We all crave certainty and as such will put up with all sorts of weird shit to have it.
Ask your friend to give me a call ;-)
Among other things I have always procrastinated about making travel arrangements – now it’s something I have to 3-4 times a year but I often wait til the last minute and end up paying a premium for a ticket. I just started Tony Robbins “Awake the Giant Within” as well as this blog and made a decision to go to the travel agent tomorrow. I see the word “decision” quite clearly.
That is definitely a situation where the visualization would work Dave. Imagining seeing that CC bill coming through with an insanely inflated ticket cost.
If that doesn’t kick your ass then you have too much money ;-)
Wow, Tim, this is the best explanation for and response to procrastination I’ve ever read. I just recently decided not to make huge issues out of everyday doodoo, but you’ve taken it one step farther.
Good for you Elle. At the end of the day we’ll all die with stuff undone! Cheery thought eh? ;-)
Your comedic genius is peerless sir! ;-)
I had to get it out of the way and clear the decks for everyone else.
Your kindness never ceases to amaze me!
I’ll be sure to do something about this later.