Confession time: I am in procrastination mood for exactly 4 days! Very bad case. How do I know? I am ready and happy to clean the whole house. And believe me being HAPPY to clean does not happen very often. But I will not give in to the mop calling out my name and the windows screaming Clean! Clear! I decided to plan the housecleaning for Saturday and get down to writing about my real issue, procrastination.
We all know this lovely monster singing out in her siren voice: “Hey, you, you must take care of…(put in some really insignificant task) instead of …(put in the project that you need/must do, that will make a difference to your life or business). Hey, you, do something totally irrelevant (like checking emails the 3rd time in an hour, call your girlfriend, check out some info you don’t really need on the internet) before you actually do that meaningful task (preparing an offer for a prospect, plan your week ahead, or continue writing your book in my case)!”
But Not Today!
I offer some questions to ask yourself when you hear the siren sing to you next time:
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What do you procrastinate exactly?
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What feeling do you have inside when you think about the meaningful task you don’t seem to be able to begin? Is it fear? Uncertainty? Sadness? Anger?
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What does that procrastination bring, what is your benefit of not getting your task done? I know, it is hard to believe, but there is always a benefit in there for you. Maybe you don’t have to face some facts like: you might not be perfect, your limited experience or knowledge, the next steps, people’s reactions or opinions, etc.
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What will be the consequences of not taking care of that meaningful task? Continued overwhelm? Your energy sapped to zero? Worrying about your success? Total inactivity?
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Are you willing to pray that price? No?
What can you do to get out of procrastination state? Here are some suggestions:
*drink a glass of water with the intention that when you swallowed the last drop, you begin to work on your meaningful task. Too simple? Setting a conscious intention will do the trick many times!
*take a few minutes to visualize the results, the benefits you reap after finishing your task
*offer yourself a little luxury as a reward after you’re done with your task
*watch a motivational video, or read some motivational quotes or text. The trick to make this suggestion work is to limit yourself to a few minutes of these activities and immediately afterwards return to accomplish your task.
I found an 83 second motivational movie that might help you when procrastination hits you again: Eat That Frog
OK, I am getting down to business (and continue writing my book).
What is your meaningful task that you begin NOW?