Procrastination Mantra
I have a confession to make…
I’m a recovering procrastinator.
At times, I even relapse into what I affectionately term ‘procrastination projects’ – essential, crucial, must-be-done-now projects that are infinitely more important than what I NEED to be doing right now. I justify these relapses because it’s important – to me – that I nurture my creative spirit & connect to inner wisdom; however, it doesn’t escape my notice that crucial creative breakthroughs tend to directly correlate with pressing deadlines.
Like this post…it’s been sitting around, reminding me it’s waiting to be written for several days now. It’s appropriate to note that the topic is the Energy of Activation – literally, the energy needed to get going. In chemistry, this energy is defined as the energy needed to overcome – to transcend – the barriers to change.
Wow, sounds like the antidote to procrastination right there, huh?
The big question then is how do we access this energy of activation in the face of procrastination?
First, we have to uncover the heart of procrastination: Fear. In my case, usually that’s a fear of failure or of rejection or of imperfection.
Procrastination & it’s trusty side-kick Fear show up over & again in my one-on-one work with clients.
Many of us really know what we need to do to create lasting health & happiness, we’re just procrastinating because we think we CAN’T or we think we’ll FAIL or we think we CAN’T DO IT GOOD ENOUGH (so why try, right?).
We know, even in the midst of this chaotic negative thought-cyle, that procrastination only causes more suffering. We know our habits are keeping us from living vibrantly. We know what we’re putting off wouldn’t be THAT HARD if we’d just do it.
Right?
Yup. So what’s the solution? There are many: A new approach. A different perspective. A coach. Someone who’s been there, done that, visits the place occasionally, but knows how to leave…. There are so many ways we can overcome our FEAR, embrace our perfectly perfect imperfection, & take some steps today to make tomorrow better {or just different}.
The kicker, though, is that usually once we get started on something, it’s not HALF as hard as we thought it would be! Once we get over that initial Energy of Activation hump, it’s all downhill.
Here are my top solutions to harness the energy of activation & overcome procrastination {of any kind}:
1} Get some help – or just some outside insight – call a friend, a coach, a mentor
2} Make a list {I LOVE lists!} of pros v. cons of Starting v. Staying Stuck
3} Go outside & take 5 deep breaths, then take some positive action toward achieving your goal
*like do a grocery run for a healthy dinner recipe ingredients, do a 20 minute yoga practice, sit for a quiet meditation, write 100 words of your manifesto/book/blog…whatever your goal is – whatever you’re putting off, take some steps TOWARD it today {procrastination is backwards momentum}.
4} arm yourself with a cuppa tea for moral support & intestinal fortitude.
5} Take a total break & give yourself over to what may just be “divine timing.” {watch this video to see what career firestarter & kick-a** business guru Danielle LaPorte says about procrastination}
6} Just start. Forget about being perfect, or how long it’s gonna take you, or how uninspired/unmotivated/unprepared you are and just make a teensy little dent.
Good. Now get to it. (One of my favorite mantras for gettin’ to it: ‘It’s not as hard as I think it is’)
OOOOOH, please lemme know how it goes! I wanna know you YOU overcome the energy of activation. Stick your breakthroughs right here in the comments section or comment on my Facebook page.
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