3 Ways to Get Moving And Not Procrastinate
Procrastination can be a sticky problem to overcome because you avoid taking action at all costs, which leaves you feeling even more frightened or intimidated – which causes you to procrastinate even more! Eventually you find yourself caught in a vicious circle; wanting to make changes but feeling powerless to do so.
The good news is that once you do begin moving forward, it seems much easier to keep the momentum going. But how do you motivate yourself to begin moving forward at all?
Try one or more of these strategies:
1) Pump yourself up.
Sometimes simple mind games can be enough to get you moving. Procrastination usually comes along with a mental conversation that might sound something like this: “I really don’t want to perform that task or activity right now. Maybe I should fold some laundry or go to the store. No, I really should get this done, but I feel intimidated. Maybe I should put it off until I feel ready to handle it.” Essentially you argue with yourself – but usually on a subconscious level.
However, you can use this same mental dialogue in a more conscious, empowering way too! Try engaging in some self talk like this, “You know you can do this! You’re stronger than any procrastination habit; just get moving, no more excuses! You’ll feel so great when you finally start making progress! It won’t seem so bad once you get going.”
2) Give yourself a reward.
Bribery can also work well if you’re having trouble pumping yourself up. Promise yourself something nice like a new outfit, book, or gadget if you make a specific amount of progress on your task. You can also choose less expensive rewards like treating yourself to favorite foods or taking some time off once you’ve completed the task. Just be sure you follow through on your promise or you’ll have a harder time bribing yourself next time.
3) Focus on the satisfaction.
If nothing else works, focus intently on the feeling of satisfaction you’ll gain when the job is done! Most often when you procrastinate you’re focusing on the negative aspects of the task you don’t want to do, like how hard it will be, how unpleasant or boring, and so on. By focusing more on the positive gains, you’ll feel more inclined to take action so you can enjoy the feeling of accomplishment.
These motivational tactics and others are only effective if you’re willing to give them a fair chance to work. When it comes right down to it, YOU have to be the one to decide to get moving – no matter what it takes to do so.
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3 Reasons Why You Procrastinate
Have you ever found yourself putting things off without knowing why? Everyone does this to a certain degree, but it can be frustrating when you keep doing it without a clear reason. Ignoring the problem will only make matters worse because it becomes more and more difficult to move forward.
There are many causes of procrastination, but here are three of the most common:
1) Feeling Overwhelmed
Many people procrastinate because they feel overwhelmed at the thought of tackling specific tasks or chores. For example, you may want to lose weight and get in shape, but it seems too difficult to begin an exercise program and change your eating habits. Or you may want to ask your boss for a raise but feel intimidated about his or her response, so you keep avoiding the issue. The problem with avoidance is that the situations only tend to get worse the longer you ignore them. What starts out as a minor annoyance can quickly turn into a major aggravation.
The best way to tackle this type of procrastination is to simply push yourself to do something about it. If it helps you to feel less intimidated, try breaking down a bigger task into smaller pieces. For example, rather than starting a whole new health regime, try committing to exercising for 30 minutes each day. Once you’ve gotten comfortable with that, begin making modest changes to your diet, and continue to make other changes in the same gradual way.
If a task can’t be broken down (like asking your boss for a raise), you might reach a point where you feel you have nothing to lose by going for it, and push yourself to take action anyway. Simply by taking action you can ease that feeling of pressure and fear that procrastination often creates.
2) Perfectionism
Another reason you may procrastinate is because you’re afraid you won’t be able to complete a task well enough, or that the conditions aren’t yet right to move forward. You’re waiting for everything to be just perfect (or your own capability to be greater than it is now), so you keep holding back. Unfortunately, the “perfect time” or conditions never arrive, so you can end up holding back for years!
The best way to get around this procrastination habit is to keep affirming that things don’t have to be perfect for you to proceed. You don’t have to be perfect in your actions or capabilities, and the conditions don’t have to be perfect in order for you to make progress. When you let go of your need to have everything “just so,” you free yourself up to better enjoy the journey and leave procrastination in the dust.
3) Lack of Discipline
Finally, a lack of self-discipline can also cause procrastination because you simply won’t put forth the effort to make positive changes in your life. Let’s face it; anything worthwhile will require some effort to achieve!
You may have to simply push yourself to do the things you know must be done, even if you don’t exactly enjoy them. When you keep in mind the alternative – problems and stagnation that result from procrastination, you just might find the motivation and discipline to keep moving forward.
Procrastination And The Power of Focus
Scattered and confused thoughts are common contributors to procrastination because it’s difficult to stay on track when you don’t have a clear focus. You end up either wasting time with untargeted actions or simply stalling because you’re not sure how to proceed!
Even worse is the way mental confusion can drain your physical energy and steal your motivation, compounding the problem.
If you’re struggling to overcome procrastination and take charge of your life again, you may find it helpful to start by sharpening your focus. With a sharper focus comes clarity and renewed motivation – which can provide the boost you need to overcome procrastination.
Here’s how to create a laser-sharp focus:
• Clarify Exactly What You Want To Accomplish
Whether you’re pursuing goals or working on a project, knowing exactly what you want to accomplish can go a long way in keeping you on track. Confusion and uncertainty will stall your efforts every time! You wouldn’t take a road trip without knowing where you are going, would you?
It works the same way with your goals or any other objective. Know exactly where you want to end up, and you’re much more likely to get there! You can do this by simply writing out your goal in full detail. What do you want to accomplish? By when? Get as specific as you can.
• Come Up With Clear Action Steps
Equally as important as knowing where you’re going is having a solid plan for getting there. If you were taking a road trip, you’d probably use a map or atlas to plan your travel route.
This same process can be applied to your goals by defining clear action steps that will lead to the completion of your goal. If your action steps seem too big or intimidating, you may want to break them down into more manageable pieces so you don’t get tempted to procrastinate again!
• Take One Clear, Focused Step At A Time
One common reason people procrastinate is because they get overwhelmed by trying to take on too much at once. Avoid that happening to you by making sure you’re focusing only on one step at a time! Don’t worry about everything that needs to be done later; just keep putting one foot in front of the other and you’ll make consistent progress.
The more you work on developing a sharp focus, the easier you should find it to keep moving steadily toward your goals.
Not only will you feel more empowered by knowing exactly where you want to go, you’ll have a solid plan of action that will get you there – and be less tempted to procrastinate!
The No Excuses Approach To Procrastination
A strong habit of procrastination can leave a lot of destruction in its wake, so it can be helpful to be firm and unyielding with the techniques you use to conquer it.
When it comes right down to it, you can analyze the reasons why you procrastinate as much as you like – but you won’t stop doing it until you decide that it’s time to take back control of your life.
Here are three powerful “no excuses” approaches that can help you do that:
1) Get Tough
One reason you may procrastinate is because you feel intimidated or overwhelmed by the tasks or chores facing you. In order to overcome a tendency to avoid things that seem difficult or frightening, you may find it helpful to consciously toughen yourself up.
How exactly do you do that? Try saying things like this to yourself: “No problem! This will be a piece of cake! I’m stronger than any fear or discomfort. I can handle this. I thrive on challenges.” At first you won’t really believe what you’re saying, but you may be able to “fake it until you make it” and experience a rush of power that can carry you through the rough spots.
2) Get Determined
Eventually you reach a point where you simply have to steel your determination to get things done, despite any excuses that may rise up to the contrary. If the tasks you’re working on are especially important, it may be easier than you think to talk yourself into a state of steely determination to get them done no matter what!
Try giving yourself a pep talk similar to this: “I am so sick of putting this off, and I want to be done with it! I’m just going to get moving on it right NOW, no matter how much I might want to keep avoiding it.” Just don’t allow yourself to put it off any longer, and you’ll be amazed at how effective such a tactic can be!
3) Get Angry
Finally, anger can be a great motivator too! Allow yourself to feel angry about your habit of putting things off until the last minute. Take a good, hard look at your circumstances and speak strongly to yourself about it: “It’s terrible what procrastination has done to my life! I’m sick of being a victim of my own fears and weaknesses.
NO more! I’m taking control of this now and getting myself back on track. I’m not weak and I’m not a wimp, and I’m definitely not lazy – it’s time to stop acting like it.”
Taking a “no excuses” approach to procrastination may seem intimidating at first, but if you give it a fair chance you might learn to love the feelings of inner strength and empowerment it can create.
Like any habit, the longer you do it the more comfortable you’ll get with it, and the easier it will be to keep it going!
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