Procrastination is probably the single most annoying downfall of all people everywhere. 

It’s the reason why college students wait until the night before a paper is due to start writing when they had two months to complete it.  It’s why people do their taxes the day they are due. 

Every day, people put off doing the things that have the potential to make them happier, more successful people.  And that’s so strange; if we made up in our minds to just go ahead and complete the tasks on our plates, we’d snuff the anxiety before it had the opportunity to grow into a wildfire.

But most of the time, we don’t do that. 

We engage in avoiding responsibilities and goals, distracting ourselves with empty activities because we don’t want to deal with the emotional discomfort that comes along with facing important tasks head-on. 

We all want to be happy and we all dream of success, so why do we self-sabotage and torture ourselves with procrastination?  

For me, general anxiety, low confidence, low energy, perfectionism, and lack of structure have a lot to do with it. According to the research, those traits are common among most chronic procrastinators.

 It’s like we’re constantly in a tunnel where we see light at the end, but we’re afraid to move towards it because we’re more terrified of falling before we get there than we are of not reaching the light. We end up paralyzed, but our minds run amuck with all sorts of negative beliefs.

It’s no wonder excessive procrastination is linked with depression.

I see a lot of value in developing this blog, but the writing process is sometimes grueling.  I may have 4 or 5 topics I want to explore, but I go back and forth in my head for days as to which one I will write about first. 

And while I’m thinking about those topics, I’m also mulling over potential books I’d want to write, e-courses I could develop, or vlogs I could create.

My mind gets congested and overloaded, and I doubt my ability to discuss a topic thoroughly and my ability to provide substance and appropriate/helpful information to readers. 

I’ve suffered for years with severe anxiety and depression, but because I’m not a licensed therapist or doctor, I doubt my efficacy and credibility in contributing to the mental health world.   So days will go by, and I will not have written a single sentence about anything.

I’ll flip channels, text friends and family, sing, dance, read, or do just about anything besides write.  

But I’ve decided once and for all to be more intentional in my fight against procrastination (because honestly, I don’t have time for it).

So here are my top five strategies for overcoming procrastination when it comes to achieving your personal goals:

1) Enlist Support

There’s nothing wrong with calling a close friend or family member and sharing your concerns and fears. It’s better than keeping your thoughts inside to fester and contaminate your mind. 

If you want to start a business, but you’re afraid that you don’t have the right experience or resources, a friend could give you the encouragement you need to overcome your self-doubt and restore your confidence.

 Proverbs 27:17 says Iron sharpens iron, and one man sharpens another.

Ask someone to share a few qualities that they think make you unique and capable of achieving your goals.  A friend told me recently that she had complete faith in me and she couldn’t wait to read my blog posts. That gave me so much life. 

If you feel your procrastination problem is way out of control, talk to a therapist about it.

2) Learn to think small

The bigger your goals are in your mind, the more likely you will procrastinate on achieving them.

 Think of it like this:  If someone took you to Mt. Kilimanjaro and said, “Here we are.  Now go climb to the top of that mountain and come back down and meet me here in two hours,” you’d think, “There’s no way I can do that!”

But oftentimes, we create Mt. Kilimanjaro sized tasks in our minds that seem so overwhelming that they freak us out. 

Have a macro-goal, but learn how to split that goal up into several manageable micro-goals.  Focus on doing one small thing well at a time. 

3) Create a realistic schedule and timeline

There’s a saying that goes If you don’t have a plan, you plan to fail.  I’d say that if you don’t create a realistic plan, you plan to stay stuck. 

A planner is a great ally because you can write down all of the tasks you want to complete every week.  You can schedule your social time, work time, relaxation time, and even set aside designated worry time, so it doesn’t infiltrate other areas of your day.

The key is to create a schedule that allows for flexibility.

 If you look at any given day in your planner, you should feel a sense of relief and be able to say, “I only have to do x or y today for my goal. Fantastic.” 

That way, if you end up doing more than you planned, it just feels like you’ve been more productive, and you’ll feel a greater sense of accomplishment.

4) Prep your thoughts for action

This is a big one.  When your thoughts are in the right place, you can manage those micro-moments in your day that determine whether you’ll act or continue to procrastinate. Your thinking in those micro-moments is crucial because every moment works together to build your future.

If you’ve decided, “Ok. It’s 5:30 pm now.  At 6:00 pm, I’m going to research x,y,z  and work on my product design,” at 5:59 you have to reason with yourself and get your thoughts prepped for action. 

You might think:  I feel discomfort, I don’t have energy,  and I have a small amount of anxiety about working on my product design, but if I set the timer for 1 hour to tackle this task I’ve set for myself, I’ll feel a sense of accomplishment that my future self will thank me for. The positive feelings I’ll generate as a result of taking action right now will supersede any feelings of discomfort or fear I have at this moment.

It also helps to take one small conscious action as preparation, like closing your eyes, taking 5 deep breaths, and visualizing yourself feeling accomplished because you decided not to put off your work.

This is a method I learned from reading  Activating Happiness: A Jump-Start Guide to Overcoming Low Motivation, Depression, or Just Feeling Stuck by Rachel Hershenberg.  It’s a great book and I  highly recommend it if you struggle with procrastination!

5) Understand that failures are a part of the process

For all the perfectionists out there, this is for you. 

Every book that is published, every movie that is made, every invention or new product you see in the market…all involved a series of revisions and edits.

Success is honed.  It’s not something that doesn’t happen if you don’t get things right the first time. 

Your focus should stay on being consistent, and taking action daily, whether or not you’re sure if it’s “right” or “perfect.” Welcome the failures and missteps. 

Adopt the mindset that you’re open to learning new things and applying the knowledge you acquire instead of fearing that you won’t do things perfectly. Pace yourself and know that perfection is a myth.   

Hopefully this got you motivated to go tackle some tasks! 

Just keep moving, and you’ll get to where you need to be.

Sincerely,

Alexia