How to Overcome Procrastination with 5 Easy Steps

Do you know that compelling voice in your head that makes you believe that any task, situation, or person bringing unpleasant feelings should be pushed aside and avoided? While the short-term effects of avoidance may work in your favor, the long-term effects create more anxiety, stress, regret, and chaos. So, why do so many people, like yourself, continue to procrastinate? Furthermore, is there any hope to break the vicious cycle?

Procrastination has been formed over many years. You have taught yourself to rationalize that you want a pleasant, more enjoyable life. To live true to that story, you avoid difficult and unpleasant tasks leading to procrastination habits like task-aversion and conflict avoidance. Sound familiar?

It is possible to break the procrastination cycle, but it takes practice and a conscious effort.

Here are some tips to help you break the cycle and overcome procrastination:

RECOGNITION

Allow your past to teach you so that you can quickly identify a feeling or action that fits into your procrastination cycle. The sooner you recognize it and call it out, the sooner you’ll catch yourself and deal with it head-on. As soon as you feel that inner voice telling you to avoid something, call it out. I would even go as far as naming your inner avoider. What will you call it?

Here are some questions to ask yourself; they will help you uncover your procrastination habits:

• What are your triggers?
• How do these avoidance triggers make you feel?
• How do you usually avoid these tasks, people, or events?
• What happens when you eventually must deal with the problem?
• How do you feel after you have finally accomplished the unpleasant task?

MODIFY YOUR MINDSET

Change the story you usually tell yourself. You know avoiding the inevitable brings nothing but anxiety, stress, and regret, so don’t listen to your avoider when it tries to tell you otherwise.

• What story can you tell yourself that will motivate you to act and ignore your inner avoider?

PRIORITIZE

Life has many responsibilities that require tasks and commitments, which can feel overwhelming. Prioritize your tasks; the worst comes first! This ensures those pesky unpleasant tasks get tackled head-on. Everyone has a different prioritizing method that works for them. Find the one that works for you and stick to it.

• Have a big overwhelming task? Break it down into sub-tasks that are easy to manage. Assign days and times to get them done and stick to your schedule as best you can.

STAY ACCOUNTABLE

In true life fashion, some things won’t go as planned and will require some creative shifting on your end. That’s ok! Be kind to yourself when you find yourself slipping back into old habits. The key to success is finding ways to keep yourself accountable.

• What will your accountability system be?

REWARD YOUR PROGRESS

Celebrate and reward your progress and achievements! This step is often overlooked but essential for modifying habits. Have fun with this step and try your best to pick motivating and satisfying rewards.

• What are some rewards that you could use? Make a list and add to it over time.

As with any habit, it takes a while to break and form new desired behaviors, so be patient with yourself but stay honest and accountable. Use these steps repeatedly until it becomes a habit. Soon enough, you’ll tackle unpleasant tasks head-on without thinking twice.

I help many people overcome life-long procrastination using my customized Life Coaching program and Saboteur to Sage program. If you need help conquering your inner avoider, contact me, and let’s discuss how I can help (psst don’t let your inner avoider talk you out of it).

Contact Me