5 Powerful Ways To Become A Better Procrastinator

“Wait! I have an important deadline! But my sister really needs my help editing her school paper, and my laundry needs to be folded and that thank you card never got sent out, I have to do that too!”

When it comes to demanding tasks, especially those in service of your long term goals, it is very easy to procrastinate. Instead of jumping on “must do” tasks as soon as you get them, you do a mental scan of how the to-do list makes you feel. In the event of fear, self-doubt or obstacles about the task, you immediately get busy with other things that would have never made it to top 10. Suddenly, it’s midnight and you are looking at the clock with blurred fiery eyes trying to convince yourself that adrenaline is going to pull you through. The reality is that you would rather justify your lack of perfection with a subconsciously self-imposed time limit.

5 Powerful Tips:

1) Have compassion. Rather than feeling guilty about the tasks you have put off, redirect your thoughts to tasks you did complete. Understand why you put off the task to begin with, have some self-compassion and begin looking at your shortcomings with a new perspective. Self-love is really helpful when tackling your hesitations.

2) Determine your priorities. Getting clear about the direction you want your life to go will help eliminate an overwhelm of choices you have to make daily. Stating what your values are gives a sense of purpose and encourages goal setting. When you define your values in life you create an encouraging platform for yourself to be more organized in your choices, resulting in less anxiety when it is time to act.

3) Set actionable goals. Setting a goal of stopping procrastination isn’t specific. You may not want to procrastinate anymore, but when the goal is that general it might not be within your capability yet. Setting specific goals means you have the ability to take action immediately.

4) Choose and commit. Being a procrastinator doesn’t mean you are lazy. In fact, you are probably very busy. Busy doing everything except what you are supposed to be doing. Confront your fears and commit to the task that aligns most with your goals.

5) Acknowledge imperfections. There is always beauty in the breakdown if you know where to look. You are going to fail and you are going to make mistakes. But each moment of your life gives you the opportunity to adjust and fallback on your values. When you fail, tap into your audacity and stand back up with grace. You will feel empowered every time you pick yourself up again.

Becoming aware of how you experience your thoughts and feelings can help craft what your procrastination looks like. If we accept that procrastination is a normal thing we all do, our goal is to not allow it to define us. No matter what your relationship with procrastination is these are 5 powerful tips to make you a better procrastinator.

In Light and Love,

Ashleigh