I know this sounds obvious, but things that are obvious often get overlooked in our day to day lives - so I’m going to be very blunt. Procrastination is one of those “silent killers”. It kills motivation. it kills momentum. It kills potential. We all have unbelievable potential within us, but that doesn’t mean anything without action tied to it. Procrastination causes the death of meaningful “intentions” or hopes.
In a business, it kills the ability to get things done, which literally kills productivity or growth. For example, you don’t want to make that difficult phone call to a client. Or you are stuck on a difficult problem - so you avoid it and tackle the low-hanging fruit. Or, you just take the easy steps and don’t put yourself out there in an intimidating environment because it’s uncomfortable. If I procrastinate any aspect of my own small business, then things just don’t happen (I have no one else to rely on). Each small aspect of my business is linked to the outcome of my services to clients, and if I procrastinate them, then ultimately I am delivering poor service, which will kill my business.
For your wellbeing, it means holding off on actually doing the things you know will improve your health, but that you keep putting off. Perfect example - You sleep in, work late to make up for it, grab groceries on the way home, then feel too tired to hit the gym. You tell yourself "I will do it tomorrow". But this occurs so often, that it totally kills your progress which is dependent on consistency. So you say it doesn’t work, and you quit, then the cycle continues.
It also means continuing to do the things that are detrimental to your wellbeing, because in the moment they are "easier". An example of this would be wanting to lose 30 lbs, and then justifying to yourself that one candy from the dish at work won't hurt you. But it happens a few times a day, everyday. Results don't work that way. It’s the equivalent of me working hard to get some more business, and then not responding to their inquiries when they ask how I can work with them, thus losing the opportunity in the end. You need to hustle, consistently.
Living in a future (that is not yet created) is like cooking a meal before you've bought the ingredients
We love procrastination. It feels good in the moment. We justify our procrastination, and have mastered the self-talk. "I can do that later". 'I will start working out on Monday". "After this glass (bottle) of wine, no more drinking and snacking". These are examples of how we procrastinate. In reality, it means it's not important to me.
continuing to do the same things you’ve always done are never going to inspire change
When I worked at lululemon, they had a mantra for employees - “DO IT NOW”. And that really stuck with me, because it is the only pure antidote to procrastination. The “DO IT NOW” approach means as soon as you hesitate on something - remind yourself that unless you do it now, then it won’t happen. Here’s why:
There will always be reasons and excuses not to start. Habits, excuses and challenges in life are always there, and they the reasons you are where you are in the first place. So if you want NO CHANGE, then keep doing what you’re doing.
While you are living your status quo, things are happening all around you, and you are doing nothing to change the game. While you are imagining how happy you’ll be when you lose 10 lbs, you are not currently in the moment taking action to actually lose the 10 lbs, so it's a pipe dream.
Always striving to improve is one thing, but creating goals and not having systems and habits in place to achieve them is useless. It will cause you to feel like a failure when things don’t pan out like you imagined (which is almost always the case). Then we stop trying because we are wayyyyy too good at not achieving our goals.
So what's the fix? How do we beat this incessant thing we call "Procrastination"? Here are five truths and strategies that you need to accept in order to kill your procrastination:
To get results, NOT DOING is not an option.
1. Let go of the past. Forget about what happened before, your life doesn’t care why something didn't work or why you got to where you are. It doesn't matter anymore - your life is here and now. AND where you are headed is better. So DO IT NOW.
2. Get out of your head. We talk ourselves out of things way too easily. Instead, use NIKE's mantra, and "Just Do It", or Lululemon’s “DO IT NOW”. Seriously - the longer you spend thinking about your action the less likely you will follow through. Just jump in and start DOING.
3. Take action immediately. Not tomorrow, not tonight. NOW. Any action will move you a little bit closer to your improved self. If you want to learn to run, then take action and start walking. The most successful people are those that take action, constantly. They literally do not hesitate for a second to get things done. They might ponder what their current priorities are to move forward, but they decide based on the outcome they want, and then they "DO IT NOW".
4. Be Uncomfortable (future blog on this one coming). It's a proven fact that humans are both "pleasure seekers" and "pain avoiders". Both are stronger motivators. So - stop looking at these actions as "painful", and get used to making yourself a little uncomfortable. The "discomfort" becomes less uncomfortable the more you practice, which makes you more and more resilient and increases your potential.
5. Practice constantly. Without consistency, you will just quit. You need to KEEP DOING IT NOW, daily. Practice enjoying each moment of your journey. Practice taking action. Every time you take an action rather than procrastinating - celebrate it! I mean it - each little hurdle is a challenge conquered, and you deserve to feel good about every moment and struggle. It will make the result so worth it.
Stop procrastinating, take action, and enjoy the journey of your life. Cause it only happens once ;)
That’s my rant for the week! Thanks, xoxo,
Leigh