you’re wasting hours online, but not getting much real work done.
you’re worrying about everything, but not trying to remedy any of it.
you’re even starting to think laundry is fun!
(well, you do need to have clean clothes.)
you’re not completing projects.
you’re not accomplishing goals.
you’re not moving forward.
you’re stalling.
i can relate.
because it hasn’t been the best week for me.
chronic sinus problems.
bureaucratic red tape regarding my business license.
recurring female issues.
holding pattern on south america travel plans.
beginning of son’s orthodontic treatment and upcoming nasal surgery.
lack of patience with my dad’s memory loss and tracking difficulties.
and two sad funeral services to attend on saturday.
valid reasons?
or just excuses?
either way, the fact remains.
procrastination freezes you.
and i am frozen.
there are things i need to be doing.
important things that need to be done.
but every day i push them to the next.
the frosty knife of procrastination has sliced through my momentum.
it’s time to pull myself up and take action.
to break through the ice.
to end the inertia.
and here is my plan.
6 simple techniques to stop procrastinating:
- take the first step.
make that phone call.
do one lesson.
write one page. - keep going. don’t quit.
my new mantra.
keep going. don’t quit.
keep going. don’t quit. - establish priorities.
evaluate everything on my list.
decide what really needs to be done now.
then do it. - plan for the next day.
choose 2 things that i absolutely must do.
write them on a post-it note.
put a reminder on my phone. - reward myself for progress.
with a comforting cup of coffee.
a 15-minute session with a good book.
or a brisk walk around the block. - find the source.
dig deep to gain perspective.
what’s underneath the icy layer?
aim for a new direction, seek resolution.
procrastination may freeze you.
but you can thaw.
you’re alive.
you’re breathing.
use my six tactics.
make your life happen.
do you ever hit the glacial wall of procrastination?
what tricks and tips do you use to chop your way through?
April, I will comment on this later.
ha ha! love it, michelle! 🙂
Just kidding! Just kidding! hee hee! 😀
I am a recovering procrastinator. I feel your pain.
And just when I think I’ve kicked it to the curb, it rears its ugly head again. Argh.
I’m going to try rewarding myself this week. I don’t do that often enough. Thank you for the powerful reminder, April. I hope that you have a better week! xo
Michelle you are sooooo funny!!!! That had me laughing out loud!!!!
yes, despite my best intentions, procrastination still seems to plague me at times. i’m glad you chose to reward yourself, michelle. let me know how it goes.
Thank your for these tips April, I am a work in progress and these gems will come in very hand as I try to juggle all the things I WANT to do with the things that I NEED to do!
a shining work in progress, angela! hope my tips help when you need them.
Those 6 steps are great for everyone…procrastinators and all!
you’re right, susie. i apply these techniques to beginning new projects and other endeavors as well.
Such simple, useful strategies…I think my favorite is the reward one!
susan – we all need to pamper ourselves a bit now and then, don’t we?
These are great simple, achievable steps and obviously coming from someone who knows! I hope things improve next week, you have a lot going on.
I find that just getting real with myself is the only way. Take a deep breath and JUST DO IT, knowing how much better I’ll feel once it’s done. The less I want to do something, the more satisfaction I get from facing it and getting it done!
thanks for the well wishes, kelly. and i love your tip – take a deep breath and JUST DO IT. (i have that nike motto hanging on my wall!). excellent advice – imagining how you’ll feel afterwards.
I’ve been doing a lot of this lately. I have to get out and move my body. It gives me such clarity and focus. It also facilitates a good mood and I seem to get great ideas when I am out hiking. 🙂
moving your body can be such a huge motivator, cheryl. and, yes, the ideas that come while you’re immersed in physical activity (keep a notebook in your pocket!).
“the frosty knife of procrastination has sliced through my momentum.” I can relate too! I just keep moving and acting on little things until I gain momentum. Exercise and clean whole food helps keep my energy up.
i am the proud new owner of a vitamix, and it has seemed to inspire me even outside the kitchen. great addition to the procrastination-breaking tips, dana!
I had a big bout of procrastination during the week and I tweeted something that seemed to really resonate with my followers, causing them to reply and encourage me to get to work. The tweet was: “Yo, fear! Get the eff out of here. You’re causing me to procrastinate and that is NOT cool.”
I find that if I turn the Internet OFF, I will get a lot more done, as I’ll fool myself into believing I’m being productive by “doing my rounds” on all the social sites and at my mailing list, analyzing stats and engaging with others.
Love your list. Gonna reward myself with some nice tea right now!
funny about the tweet, bon (everyone could obviously relate to how you were feeling). and, yes – i too am guilty of telling myself that i’m “working” when i’m doing my social media rounds. love the tea reward. 🙂
keep going. don’t quit. Keep going. Don’t quit… that was my mantra this past week… nice to see it here too… !!!! And grateful for it….Procrastination sure thinks she can run the show eh… but not with these 6 simple techniques… !!!!
keep going. don’t quit. keep going. don’t quit. i’ve been saying it along with you, elizabeth!
I would add: Be gentle with yourself.
fabulous addition, lorna. and so important. (thanks.)
Oh April, sending lots of love. I know too well “the frosty knife of procrastination”…love that phrase. It can be sooooo debilitating. Your simple tips are so helpful…just baby steps and being gentle with self…will remember these. Thank you so much for this guidance.
thanks for the love, marg (received :)).
Procrastination, for me, means the items on my to do list are not particularly inspiring. I try to unpack that. Then, I turn off my procrastination demon (Facebook) and get to work on just one thing. Thanks for the reminder.
very good point, sue ann. perhaps the items are not personally inspired. i like your phrase “unpack that.” (and the demon itself – facebook!)
I have learned that what I used to call procrastination (and in turn, beat myself up for it) is many times me being unsure of what to do. I have grand ideas right now for creating a new online class and for weeks felt like I could not get my act together. After a bit of soul searching I realized that I wasn’t really sure of what I wanted to do for this class and decided to approach it more as a fact finding mission that merely getting stuff down on paper.
wow. excellent introspection on your part, heather. i like how you transformed the procrastination into a “fact finding mission” by digging deep and revealing what was really going on. thanks so much for sharing that.
Time for the defreeze! You’re so right, procrastination freezes you.
welcome to the spring thaw, zoe!
What a beautifully written post!
I love 3 & 4, I always do better when I plan my top 3 things the night before, and I often forget to celebrate what I HAVE done, as I chase the next thing on my too-long to do list.
xx
thank you so much, sam. 🙂 it’s so easy to forget to celebrate and reward ourselves, isn’t it? always “chasing the next thing” . . .
April, I think every human being can relate to what you wrote. I believe procrastination is a part of life, especially in this day and age where we have so many things to distract us and fuel that procrastination! Your simple steps are the antidote. But I do want to tell you, it sounds like you are having an especially tough emotional week. Be gentle on yourself. xo
thank you, tania – your words themselves were a gentle balm. and you’re correct – procrastination is definitely a part of all our lives.
Great tips! I’m a recovering procrastinator as well! I’ve learned that baby steps and organization are really the answer for me. They help eliminate that awful 5 ton bag of bricks pressure on my neck! haha I’m going to add in your reward tip too. Thanks!
oh, can i feel “that awful 5 ton bag of bricks pressure” at times, susan – what a visual!
Hello April! OMG… so… we were having a “procrastinators unite” meeting tomorrow… but we all agreed to move the meeting for the day after tomorrow for different reasons…
I need to start implementing some of these tips as well… but at the same time I am trying to be gentle with myself and just let the process unfold itself as it should. It is definitively a fine balance. Anyways, BEST OF LUCK!
hilarious, victoria! i adore that being gentle with oneself has become something of a theme on this comment thread. so imperative for our overall wellness. and allowing “the process to unfold itself.” key.
I signed up for a kickboxing class. I think that will help kickstart the thaw (I live in CT), don’t you think…LOL!
way to go, anissa! that should absolutely “kickstart the thaw” and kick that procrastination to the curb. have fun!