A Case For Procrastination Interrupted Part 2

Hello,


Procrastination Interrupted Solutions

1-Think less. Do more.
Don't overthink the task, goal or situation. Plan and execute. The most effective way to do is to just do it. Your life is too short to wait.

2-Don't make the task or situation look larger than life.
Delaying the task makes it bigger in your mind, while getting it started keeps it manageable. Keep it simple. Start small and stay focused to deal with it.

3-Stop Stalling.
But... What if... What about... are your ways of putting off from doing. Get started regardless of what you think and how you feel. Believe me, procrastination is not the only way nor the best way to protect yourself from emotional pain. Just begin and see where it takes you. Trust me, you will feel more in control and more optimistic.

4-Focus on getting started.
Think about "getting started" as opposed to "getting it done." Procrastination is stopped short just by getting started. Once we start a task, it is rarely as bad as we think. When faced with the task don't think, "How in the world am I going to get all this done?" This way of thinking will stop you in your tracks before you get started. Don't look too far ahead. Focus on one small task each day and this is how you will get it ALL done. Be willing to start and restart many times. This is okay.

5-First thing first.
Start with the most important, dreaded or hardest task first. Get it out of the way. You will feel relieved and ready to charge ahead.

6-Make up your mind.
Just make a decision. Any decision related to the task at hand. We feel worse when we just sit with angst and don't take action.

7-Face your fears.
Know without a doubt there is so much more to learn and grow from trying and failing than in remaining stuck. Face your fears and watch them melt away.

8-Finish it.
The best way to get something done is to begin. Completing our tasks and moving forward on our goals makes us feel good and more satisfied. Repeat this saying throughout the day: I can and I will. Now.

9-Create a to-do list.
List what you have to do for the day. Keep the list with you and enjoy the feeling of checking things off.

10-Two-minute rule.
Anything that you want to put off but takes two minutes or less to do- Do it!
You'll be pleased to see how many things you can actually complete. It takes me under two minutes to do my bed. Try it yourself.

11-Have concentrated work time.
Just focus on the task for a concentrated period of time. Get a timer and set it for 30 minutes of focused work.

12-Take breaks after working on a task.
A brief break- no more than ten minutes. Do whatever you want, but tell yourself it's back to work after the break. These timed breaks can actually keep procrastination at bay.

13-Remove distractions.
If at work, close your door or find a quiet space to work in. Turn off your phone. Don't check emails. Don't surf the web. Turn off anything that is a distraction.

14-Stop trying to be perfect.
Perfectionism is an excuse for procrastination. There is no perfect anything or anyone. Tell yourself mistakes are a sign that you are trying. Remember, the winning formula: To become your best it takes work and practice. Stop waiting and just do!

15-Reward yourself.
Treat yourself to something small and acknowledge the work that you did today. Positive reinforcement is an effective way to change behavior.

16-Just picture it.
Picture yourself completing your goal. What does that feel like? As you work, focus on the relaxation to come and the anxiety-free feeling of accomplishing your goals. Use of imagery will help you to stay on task.

17-Commit to a plan and tell someone about it.
Reporting your progress to someone who emotionally supports you can actually increase your motivation to finish it. Having an accountability partner can do wonders to help us stay on track.

18-Stop making excuses for yourself.
You can be a victim of circumstance or be a doer. Which one is it going to be? You decide!

19-Motivate yourself.
When in doubt and feeling stuck, read the classic children's book, Little Engine That Could.
"I think I can. I think I can. I thought I could. I thought I could."
You can read it online for free anytime you need a boost of confidence, but make sure to get back to work afterwards. Don't get distracted by surfing the web.

20-Use of quotes and mantras.
If we repeat them often enough they affect our thinking and behavior in a positive way. Here are two that I use often: "There is no better time than now" and "Don't leave for tomorrow what you can do today."

21-Positive self-talk.
Just as you self-talk your way to not doing, self-talk your way to action. Go from, "I can't" to
"I can and I will." Keep repeating this until you believe it.

22-Stay with your feelings.
Both positive and negative feelings come and go. The next time you are feeling negative about a task- relax. Be calm. Know that if you don't runaway from your feelings, they will pass just like passing clouds. Feelings do not have the power to immobilize you without your consent. Express your emotions rather than hide or avoid them. Accept your feelings and you will see that you are able to act in spite of them.

23-Keep it real.
Call out procrastination when it's creeping in. When you start to think, "I'll do this later" you need to STOP and recognize that you are about to put off doing something in order to avoid the negative emotions you are feeling right now. Ask yourself what are you feeling? What can you do about it besides procrastinate?

24-Know the warning signs.
When and where are you most likely to procrastinate? How does the process begin for you? Check in with yourself and ask, What am I feeling right now? Why is it important that I DO the task NOW? The act of procrastination is really a process that begins with thoughts of  "not wanting to do." Once the thought exists, the feelings of dis-ease set in. It is at this early onset that you can catch yourself from giving in to the urge to flee from the task. You can then redirect your thinking, decide on the action to take, and hopefully choose to deal with the task/situation effectively. Think of the process as thoughts-feelings-actions. At any point in this process, you can interrupt procrastination, but obviously the earlier you catch yourself the better off you are.

25-Be honest.
Realize what you are doing. When faced with a dreaded task, your natural inclination is to delay- runaway-not do right now. You want to procrastinate. Always good to start with the truth. After acknowledging this- stop and stay put. Deal with these initial negative emotions in a non-procrastinatory way.

26-Decide which emotions to focus on.
You may have fear. Acknowledge this feeling, but choose to continue on task. Focus instead on another feeling that inspires you to move forward. You can focus on your desire to succeed, to do well, or how relieved you will be upon completing the task.

27-Practice 12 Step AA wisdom.
Two basic tenets of recovery: You don't need to wait until you 'feel like' doing something in order to start doing it AND you don't have to act on your feelings. Consider using these principles in your efforts to interrupt procrastination. Here are two recovery slogans that you can use to help you move forward: "Bring the body and the mind will follow" and "Change the behavior and the rest will follow."

Well, that's all for now. I hope this list helps you on your road to change. Never, ever give up on you.
You can make a change. Now! No one can stop you, except YOU.

Thank you for reading.

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A Case For Procrastination Interrupted Part 1

Hello,


                                       "All The Woulda-Coulda-Shouldas
                                       Layin' In The Sun,
                                       Talkin' 'Bout The Things
                                       They Woulda-Coulda-Shoulda Done...
                                       But All Those Woulda-Coulda-Shouldas
                                       All Ran Away And Hid
                                       From One Little Did."
                                         - Shel Silverstein

Regret and procrastination often go hand in hand. The remedy? Act on your intentions. Don't be afraid of the did. Time is precious. Why waste it? If you want your procrastination interrupted, then just get started, this very moment. Yes, now Is the Time. Take the first step. To begin, just start somewhere. One small action is all you need to start the movement from not doing to doing. One Little Did. That's all. Try it. It works.

So with no further delay, let's expose procrastination by understanding what it is.

The first thing to know about procrastination is that everyone does it to some degree or another. You are not alone. It is for many a habit. A delay by choice that is unnecessary and serves to keep us off task.* Procrastination is putting off doing something that is important, but unpleasant that you know should be done today. We replace important tasks with less important ones and by doing so often waste time. It is a deliberate turning away from an intended action when we know we could act on it right now.* It is avoidance. A self-imposed delay despite the knowledge that inaction will bring about negative consequences. It reflects a struggle with self-control. In other words, we are unwilling or unable to carry out our intentions. It is a reluctance to act when it is in our best interest to do so.* Procrastination is our way of holding ourselves back and remaining stuck. A form of self-sabotage that undermines well-being. It is working against ourselves, goals and needs. We often do it without questioning our actions.

For many of us, procrastination has become our "go to response" to things we don't want to do, situations we don't want to face, and emotions we don't want to feel. Yes, when faced with a task or situation that brings up unpleasant feelings, the procrastinator in us will seek relief through excuses, rationalizations, and/or denial. We are in essence running away from uncomfortable feelings and seeking ways to feel better using procrastination as our way out. The very act of procrastination is an indication that we are letting our feelings rule over right action and this comes with a price in the long run.
More often than not, procrastination creates guilt-we feel bad about ourselves-with ourselves.* It reflects self-doubts, fears, and low self-worth. And we must not forget that most of our regrets are a direct result and consequence of our failure to act. Furthermore, procrastination causes stress which can compromise our immune system and overall physical health functioning.* Habitual procrastinators often postpone seeking medical attention and following up with their health care needs. The results can be physically harmful. As you can see, procrastination NOT interrupted is a problem that can literally put a life on hold. Sadly enough, this happens to be the story for many who allow procrastination to dominate their lives. What is the cost of your procrastination? Is it worth it?

If you are like most people who procrastinate, you know what you are doing, but understanding how and why can help you make a change. First, it is important to know procrastination takes many forms with some more obvious than others. Here are some examples of how procrastinators do their thing: show reluctance to take on new challenges or positive risks, become physically ill when faced with unpleasant tasks or situations, show discrepancy between what they say and what they do, avoid decisions and/or confrontations, make plans but fail to carry them out, ideas are almost always in the planning stages, wait to the last possible minute to do something, seem to only work under pressure, are often late, stay at a job longer than they care to, too much thinking not enough doing, and struggle with clutter which is a physical manifestation of you know what. Their modus operandi seems to be "do tomorrow what they rather not do today." How often do you find yourself saying, "I'll get to it later," "I just can't right now," "In a minute."

If you are serious about making a start, then pay close attention to the thoughts you keep and the words you speak or else you may find yourself once again putting off until...later. Let's face it, we all have habits. And yes, we all procrastinate some. The problem is when we allow any habit, including procrastination to dominate. When this happens, watch out!
The ways of procrastination are NO FUN. It really does not make us feel that great, especially when we have the emotional awareness to recognize we are just running away from ourselves and our lives. The truth of the matter is, procrastination can be a source of considerable stress and anxiety.* It often makes us feel weak and helpless. So in actuality, procrastination makes life harder and we are less happier for it.

Despite the negative consequences of procrastination, the urge to do so is very strong because essentially it provides us with a way of coping with our feelings. By procrastinating, we get to feel good now and avoid negative emotions now.* A behavior that makes it possible for you to avoid negative feelings is hard to give up. Here are some of the feelings procrastinators try to run away from by staying off task: excessive worry and anxiety about failing, guilt, shame, anger and strong sense of inadequacy. And of course, there's stress, feeling overwhelmed, lack of motivation and boredom. But FEAR seems to be the big one that sets the stage for procrastination. It could be fear of failure and of success, disappointment, looking foolish, making mistakes, rejection and so on. For those who habitually procrastinate, it is possible their behavior serves to protect self-esteem.* For example, if you choose to wait until the night before to study for a big exam and you do well, then this makes you look good. If however, you do poorly, you can always say you didn't give yourself enough time to fully prepare. Either way, self-esteem is not threatened. Procrastination can also help you to not feel the depths of your loneliness, sadness and despair. Your delay in action is an assurance that there is always something to do-something that has to get done...LATER. And so, procrastination is your buffer from pain.

One last thing about the function of procrastination worth mentioning. In many ways, procrastination is a problem similar to that of drinking too much, using other mood-altering substances, overeating, or shopping-all in an effort to avoid negative emotions.* When faced with unwanted feelings we seek relief and these behaviors including procrastination serve as a quick fix. Here's the thing about procrastination, it is a mood changer, but the relief it offers is only temporary and short-lived. You may find yourself turning to procrastination more and more as a way of escapism to the extent that it becomes your primary way of warding off whatever it is you don't want to feel. In the case of habitual procrastinators, however, there comes a time when they feel awful procrastinating and just as bad when they don't. The escape no longer works for them which is actually a good thing because pain can move them to action.

Think on These Things.

Stay tuned for part two.

Enjoy :)


* Partially adapted from Timothy A. Pychyl's Solving The Procrastination Puzzle.