Are you A Procrastinator? Here’s 5 simple steps to The Things done.

Are you A Procrastinator? Here’s 5 simple steps to The Things done.

If you answered ‘yes’ you already have both the problem and the solution right there. Yep! That was quick…my job here is done.

Full disclosure - it’s taken me 3 months to complete this blog :) But I’m NOT a procrastinator.

If you’re labelling yourself as A Procrastinator, then you’re judging yourself and well, how does living with constant judgement help you? Feel good? I thought not.

If you see yourself as A Procrastinator then you’re going to also see some behaviours that go with this adopted title and then beat yourself up about it. You’re probably also wasting a lot of time and thought power on trying to solve the problem of procrastination.

So, this means that not only are you having to deal with the frustrations of not getting around to doing The Things but on top of that you’ve got all that useless heavy judgement and horrid feelings of failure PLUS wasted time and headspace and energy on trying to solve the problem.

If this sounds exhausting but also very much like you at the moment, then welcome, you’ve stumbled across something that I think might lift some of that rubbish off your shoulders, clear some headspace so you can think more clearly and actually start doing The Things.

Here’s 5 simple steps to stop procrastinating and get The Things done:

Step 1: Notice yourself procrastinating.

Step 2: Decide you’re not A Procrastinator

Step 3: Reframe the procrastinating as useful information

Step 4: Use that useful information

Step 5: Get The Things done at last

Let’s break those steps down:

Step 1: Notice yourself procrastinating

Just notice what's going on right now. Take a step back and observe yourself. Done it? Excellent, you're ready for the next step already.

Step 2: Decide you’re not A Procrastinator

Now, notice the procrastinating NEUTRALLY - drop the judgement. Drop the ‘shoulds’ and ‘oughts’ and ‘really musts’. Then resign your judgy title. Just like that. Say it out loud or in your head or shout it from the top of a mountain (imaginary or otherwise) - “I am NOT A Procrastinator''. 

How do you feel now? Notice how you feel - neutrally. Yep, drop the judgement around that too. Seriously - be on your own side for once.

Step 3: Reframe the procrastinating as useful information

So, you’re not A Procrastinator - you’re a current observer of procrastinating behaviours.

Fortunately, we can use this as useful information.

How? Take a moment to notice where you're procrastinating and where you’re not. Where it’s worse and where it’s slightly better.

Step 4: Use that useful information

Celebrate all the places where you just do The Things without fuss. See I told you you’re not A Procrastinator.

Then notice where you’re absolutely avoiding doing The Things. Pick one at a time and notice how you feel about doing it. Bored? Don’t really want to do it? Indifferent? Scared of doing it wrong? Not really sure how to do it? Etc

This step’s worth Mind Journaling or Messy Journaling out until you gain the inisght you need to free yourself from the refusal to get The Thing done. 

Step 5: Get The Things done at last

So, now you know you’re definitely not A Procrastinator and you have the information from the procrastination behaviours to get The Things done that have been bugging you.

Here’s how:

Decide whether The Thing feels mostly either a) boring or b) scary:

1. a) Bored, indifferent or don’t really want to do it? 

Why are you doing it? Can someone else do it? Who could you ask to do it instead? Can you pay someone to do it? 

Does it have to be done? Can it be postponed?

If you decide it has to be done, it has to be done now and it has to be done by you, then stop wasting your time and energy beating yourself up and just start - take the smallest possible step and do it NOW.

For example, need to write a blog? Open the document and write ANYTHING even bla bla bla. Now you’ve broken into The Thing -  you've started and you have some momentum. It's easier from here to keep going with more tiny steps.

How can you make it as easy and enjoyable as possible? Baby steps, ask for help, get accountability, Pomodoro it (set a timer for 25 minutes and go for it even if its rubbish), play music, bribe yourself etc

1. b) Scared of doing it? 

Follow the fear - playfully and curiously and see what’s at the bottom of it. You might find it’s not so scary or you don’t actually want to do The Thing you’re just scared of disappointing others. Whatever you find, be kind to yourself, go gently without judgement. Then decide whether you really want to do it or not. If you do, use the same techniques as above and just start.

You've got this. You're not A Procrastinator. You are a human who often has too much to do and the procrastination is just useful information to help you sort out your priorities. Value it because you matter. How you get things done matters.