Four Strategies to Get Yourself Back into Action.

Procrastination is way more common than I ever realized. Most of my friends, colleagues and clients struggle with procrastination. Even though I tend to be a doer, I see how my ability to put things off has gained momentum. Our lives are so crowded by input from all sorts of technology and other distractions…especially if we’re creative and curios people! I can be happily sidetracked by reading articles online, my fascinating hard-copy magazines and books, or doing lots of little inconsequential projects around my house. All good things…but am I getting to the things I know I want and need to do? Um…no.

Sound familiar?

Here’s what I’ve found helps me to stop procrastinating and do what needs doing. Maybe this will work for you, too:

• Spend time thinking about what you really want to see happen in your personal or professional life. Really see yourself doing what you imagine would feel energizing and delightful once you’ve completed this. How does this help you, or others? What’s the upside for getting these things done?
• Take a moment to hear what your internal voice – we all have this — is quietly saying to you about getting started on whatever it is you’re putting off. Feeling overwhelmed? Scared about doing something new? Afraid of failure? Or afraid of success? Or expect to be bored? Now’s your chance to speak back with kind encouragement. Encourage yourself to be brave and give yourself a chance to move forward with even 15 minutes of doing to move things forward. Now set a timer and make it happen and see if you decide to work longer.
• Find a buddy you can report to about the projects you want to accomplish. Being accountable to someone is motivating for most of us. Somehow we’ll find a way to show up and share what we’ve done. You’ll be doing someone else a favor by asking them to join you in getting their projects done!
• Still can’t get moving? Sometime we aren’t wired for the work we need to get done. Time to bring in someone who’s got the skills to do what we can’t. I’ve outsourced all sorts of things that I can’t bear to do. Filing? Ugh. Bookkeeping…no way. When you genuinely know you aren’t going to get yourself to do something, find someone who will do it for you. That’s why coaches and bookkeepers, organizers and trainers are in this world. Sometimes we need to give ourselves a smart break and let someone else do the heavy lifting while we get to the things we can do with ease, and even joy.

Happy doing!