The 1 Thing That Helps You Beating Procrastination

Recently I read an article on a blog about procrastination. We all struggle from time to time with getting motivated to start that project, right? I sure do! Even if it’s a project or activity we really want to take on. Being excited about even.

Why procrastinating?

So why do we procrastinate? We desperately want to have that decluttered home. And we really want to lose that extra 10 pounds.

There is so much information available on how to take the steps for any project. People who have done it, share with the world all the steps they have taken. And how amazing it feels when you finally finish and reach your goals.

Getting motivated

But reading about others doesn’t always get you in the proper mindset, right? We can easily get overwhelmed even with all the steps we need to take to reach our goal. Or the time it takes. We lose our confidence in ever getting everything done and so we give up even before we begin.

I have experienced that too. And sometimes still go through it, believe you me. Starting this blog was a huge adventure and big project for me. I was no WordPress expert at all. But I learned a lot and took the necessary steps. And here we are.

How it works

Think about it. First, you decide you set yourself a certain goal. Then you think about how to reach that goal. Next, you read about all the steps you need to take and you make a plan. You take a step back and then it hits you…. You can never pull this off! Sounds familiar?

There are only 2 options here. You either give up on that goal altogether and throw everything out the window. Or you give yourself a pep talk. You say to yourself that this is manageable and your goal can be reached.

In reality, you give yourself advice on how to reach that goal. You encourage yourself. You can even give yourself pointers on how to tackle this project. That’s what you are actually doing.

Give yourself a pep-talk

And that’s what you should do. Give yourself advice, don’t keep looking for information. You know how to reach your goal, you know the steps you need to take. Pretend someone else is struggling with getting started. What would you say to her? What advice would you give him? You would never in a million years say “Well, you might as well give up now, cause you’ll never going to succeed”. That wouldn’t be all that encouraging, right?

So stop saying it to yourself. Give yourself the advice you would give your friend, colleague or child. Say things like: “You’re awesome, you can do this!” or “You got this, you can reach that goal and you will. Just get going!”.

Don’t let yourself down

Succeeding has everything to do with getting in the right mindset. You need to be positive, knowing you can get this done. You want to build the steps you need to take into your own routine.

Look at what is manageable during your day or week. For instance, if you want to improve your physical condition you would want to exercise. It can feel you have to push yourself time and time again. So give yourself that needed pep-talk every time you need it. Stick to your commitment even if you’re tired. Don’t procrastinate, don’t let yourself down.

Now tell me, what would you say to yourself to get motivated?

P.S. If you want to have a laugh about procrastination, watch Tim Urban’s TED talk.