I struggle with procrastination. I’m putting things off right now as I type this. Maybe you are guilty too? For me, I’m a perfectionist. And if I don’t know how to do something perfectly, I just put it off.. Months pass by and that thing is still on my to-do list. It’s frustrating – dare I say, angering. I don’t like the procrastinator in me. And I’ve been working on improving it by using a couple tactics that I wanted to share with you.
Maybe one or more of these will help you push through something you’ve been putting off. Maybe this is the spark you need!
4 Ways to Stop Procrastinating
- Turn your want into a need
- Get excited about your desired outcome
- Make your goals a central part of your identity
- Reward yourself
# 1: Turn your want into a need
I want to lose weight – or – I NEED to lose weight.
I want to be more grateful – or – I NEED to be more grateful.
I want to eat healthier – or – I NEED to eat healthy
I want to breathe – or – I NEED to breathe. (obvious one – just making sure you’re paying attention)
Picking up what I’m putting down? When you NEED something, you do it. It must be done – you can’t go on living without it. If you have a task, goal, or project that you should be doing, you have got to turn it into a need so important that you must take action immediately – and every day from this day forward!
#2: Get excited about your desired outcome
Is losing 10 pounds really exciting to you? Is going to the gym sound like torture?
If you aren’t excited about what you have to do, you just won’t do it. You can’t “motivate” or use willpower to get going every day. You have to legitimately be excited about the outcome that you want! To be exciting, it has to be meaningful. Why is losing 10 pounds meaningful? Why is going to the gym meaningful? Time to get excited about it (hint – it’s easy to get excited when you have #3 dialed in)!
#3: Make your goals a central part of your identity
Goals are garbage unless the goal is tied to your identity. I could have a goal of climbing Mt Everest, but if I’m not a mountain climber, that goal means nothing! The goal is irrelevant without the proper identity. The good news – you get to create your identity!
“I am a healthy person, therefore I’ll eat vegetables every meal.”
“I’m the type of person that prioritizes my fitness.”
“I’m a writer.”
“I’m an investor.”
“I’m a great parent.”
Who are you? What are your identities? Then, and only then, can you set goals that make any sense!
#4: Reward yourself.
When you push yourself, when you fight for your goals, and when you get after it and do the work; reward yourself! Be careful here though – you can’t reward yourself with something that is inconsistent with your identity. If you go to the gym 6 days in a row, you can’t reward yourself with a tub of ice cream and Funions. Coming up with a reward that is tied to your identity is a powerful way to reinforce your good habits. Take some time and brainstorm some rewards you can use!
I believe you are capable of accomplishing great things! And here’s where the rubber meets the road; will you allow your procrastination or perfectionism to get in the way? Or will you start to implement some strategies to finally stop putting things off once and for all!
I’m in your corner, and you can do this!
If the process seems overwhelming, get in touch.
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