Pulverize Procrastination (and Enjoy Dessert)

Every Sunday I send out something to think about, a question to ponder and something to try to make your life a little more pleasant. The idea is to inspire and encourage positive change. Readers share their progress so we can all benefit from the learnings.

THINK

“Procrastination is like a credit card: it’s a lot of fun until you get the bill.” 

Christopher Parker

Do you ever get that feeling when you know you have to do something, but you just can’t bring yourself to do it? 

You tell yourself you’ll get to it later, that you need to rest a bit, that you’re just not feeling it right now. You find absolutely ANYTHING else to do instead of doing that thing. When you’ve avoided it once, it becomes easier to avoid it again, so you do. And before you know it, the day is over, and you’ve accomplished nothing.

Yeah, me neither. 

But for some losers, it’s a real problem. 

This post is for them. Not us. 

(I won’t say anything if you don’t 🤫😉)

Today, we’re going to focus on one of the deadliest sins of any ambitious person – procrastination. It’s the sworn enemy of productivity, the arch-nemesis of success, and the bane of all that is good and noble in this world. 

Procrastination is a siren song that lures you away from your goals and dreams. It whispers sweet nothings in your ear, telling you that you can always do it tomorrow. It seduces you into inaction. There’s no rush… you have all the time in the world. 

But it’s all ‘Fake News’.

Time is the most precious resource you have, and once it’s gone, it’s gone forever.

You must be strong and stand up to this temptress, but how?

First of all…

Being hard on yourself or seeking words of encouragement from others will do little to move the needle. 

Why?

You don’t have a procrastination problem. You have a clarity problem. 

The task might feel too big and feel overwhelming. You don’t know how to do it. Perhaps you lack the confidence or belief to do it. Or maybe, deep down you know that completing it will lead to an even bigger challenge that you don’t feel ready for. 

In all these cases, you’re lacking clarity and to fix it, you need a plan. 

Here’s one:👇

1. Write down every step you know.
2. Learn what’s missing. 
3. Make a plan. 
4. Act on the plan.
5. Repeat.

1) Write down every step you know

Write out every step you need to take from start to finish. 

If you feel confused, overwhelmed, lazy or unmotivated, just work out your next step. 

Make the step so easy, it would be impossible to fail.

In the action you find the wisdom to carry on.

2) Learn what’s missing

Not knowing the next step can lead to procrastination. That’s OK. Learn how. 

A little bit of research can turn a hazy want into a specific action. 

Don’t know how to advertise?

Create a step to research online advertising for 60 mins or buy a book on advertising or sign up for a course on how to advertise online, etc. 

Find out how to do it. 

Or pay someone (who already knows how) to do it for you.  

You’re not allowed to use ‘not knowing’ as a reason not to take action. 

There are too many free/low cost/useful ways to learn nowadays.

3) Make a plan

I’m about to share perhaps the simplest and most impactful part of this newsletter. If you ignore the rest of it and just take this one thing on, you’ll be better for it. I promise. 

Are you ready?…

Action destroys procrastination. 

You can’t act on vague wants. Therefore, get clarity. 

If you followed steps 1 and 2, you’ll have a list of specific actions. Stuff you know and stuff you’re learning. 

Now you just need to prioritise them. 

Keep it simple. Just select your next 3 steps and plan them into your schedule. 

Write them into your diary/calendar as you would a doctor’s appointment.  

TOP TIP: Put the difficult tasks in at the start of the day. Leave the fun ones for the afternoon. Like dessert. 🍨

Don’t ever say I don’t treat you.

4) Act on them

Now that you have your next 3 most important steps booked into your schedule, you just need to act on them. 

Some things will work out well, some won’t. That’s OK. Both outcomes are great. 

You win or learn. 

Celebrate your wins, and learn from your losses. 

Dessert all round!

5) Repeat

Once you’ve completed your top 3 priorities, start over. 

• Update your list (if needed). 
• Learn what’s missing (if needed).
• Update your plan (next 3 steps).
• Act on them (always). 

If you can’t be arsed to write a list, learn what’s missing and make a plan, go straight to Step 4 – Take Action. 

Step 5 is titled ‘Repeat’, so I’m going to repeat myself. 

Remember the most important part of this newsletter…

Action destroys procrastination. 

You can’t act on vague wants. Get clear, make it simple and do it. 

 Reflect and share this list with someone. 

ASK

If you want to reduce procrastination in your life, go directly to the source and consider the following: 

Why are you procrastinating?

• Write out everything that comes to mind. 

Feel Overwhelmed?

• Break it down into smaller steps. 
• How could you make it easier to do?

Lack Confidence?

• Push back on that. 
• Are you unfairly chasing perfection? Could you allow yourself to get it ‘roughly right’ instead? 
• What’s the worst thing that could happen if you fail?

Wrong Reasons?

• Is it really that important to you? 
• Are you trying to do it to impress someone else or cover up insecurity? 

What else could be holding you back from moving forward?

 Write down what comes to mind. 

TRY

Once you’ve identified why you procrastinate, try following the 5 steps to move past resistance. Remember…

Action destroys procrastination. 

Get clarity. Make it simple. Take action.  

 Remember: Little by little, a little becomes a lot.  

SHARE

Comment below and share how it went for you.

If you tried combating procrastination this week, COMMENT and share your wins with the world.