How Do I Overcome Procrastination?
Many of my clients come to me because they feel stuck. They find themselves procrastinating, it frustrates them and they want to know how to get back into action.
Often they are asking themselves, why am I procrastinating? or even worse, what is wrong with me?
Most importantly, there is nothing wrong with us when we procrastinate. It is completely natural and human and there are very good reasons why we might be doing it. Even if those reasons are not completely clear to us.
So let's start by fully accepting yourself and your actions. Through acceptance of the current moment, we can start to change the future.
There is nothing wrong with you.
Why are you procrastinating?
Although this seems like a good question, it is limiting you on your journey to getting back into action.
From a coaching and mentoring point of view, it's much more powerful to explore.
If procrastination wasn't a problem, what would you be achieving and doing?
Some of my clients realise that they don't actually know or they haven't clearly defined what they want or need to do.
Their barriers are two of the most common ones I see.
They don't know what they want or they don't know why they want it
What they want or need to do is confusing or messy. They next action isn't clear.
A confused brain will procrastinate.
A quick win to get back into action is to define a clear next step or action. Once you have that next step, you might get unblocked and back into action.
If you do have a clearly defined next action and you are still procrastinating, there might be other reasons.
One reason I see with my clients is that they are depleted and they need to rest and recharge. They are trying to push on through and keep working. The sad thing is that although it feels productive to keep pushing on, it's the opposite. You don't get the task done and you haven't rested. You get the worst of both worlds.
Next time you are procrastinating, check in with how you feel. Are you tired? Are your energy levels depleted?
Ok, so if you are full of energy and you have a clearly defined next step and yet you are still procrastinating, the barrier might be around how you feel when you do the task.
You may be procrastinating because the task gives you unpleasant feelings. You don't send the email because you feel fearful of the result. You don't write the blog article because you are scared of rejection.
When a task scares me, I find the quicker I do it the better. It is almost as if I can outrun the fearful feelings.
Another psychological trick I like is to use music that makes me happy whilst doing the task. The music can evoke happiness and energy which fuels the task.
Another reason you are putting things off is that you don't actually want the result. It seems strange but I see it all the time.
I was working with a client recently who wanted to know how she could do more to grow her business and connect with new clients. She couldn't see why she was putting it off.
In the session, we did identify that she
she didn't have clarity about what she could do
she didn't like doing some of the tasks so would avoid them
But at the core of the procrastination was that she was focusing on the wrong goal. By analysing her client pipeline, it was clear she already had a outstanding proposals being considered by clients. More work than she could fulfil. She didn't need to focus on connecting with new clients or writing posts on social media or blogs.
Once it was clear she needed to manage her current potential client pipeline, her next actions became clear. When she connecting to the reason she wanted to work with those clients and the benefits that would bring, she started moving forwards and felt re-energised.
When you find yourself procrastinating, reflect on these questions:
Am I tired or depleted or ill?
Do I have a clearly defined next action or step?
Do I think the task will make me feel unpleasant feelings?
How can I do this task quicker?
What music will make me happy whilst doing this task?
If you procrastinate, remember you are in good company.
Coaching and mentoring helps you understand why you are procrastinating, what your personal barriers are and how you can overcome them. Book at chat to explore how it could help.