Nothing is so fatiguing as the eternal hanging on of an uncompleted task.
~William James
You probably even experience the fatigue without knowing the real reason because procrastination is tricky business; it plays on your weaknesses and emotions but has no arm of logic supporting it.
Let me prove it to you very simply:
Use Your Inner Powers
Bonus: 21-Step Confidence Building Series
If you actually commit to doing something, the inner peace that emerges will only result in more productivity. You will crave the feeling of inner peace and productivity over the fatigue of procrastination every time, therefore you will continue with your projects, plans, goals and dreams, and you will create more and more inner peace and happiness and joy in your life. That is the logic.
When you neither know nor do the above, the fatigue sets in. Oh you must fight it! Even though procrastination in itself seems to be the lazy way out, you pay for it dearly by giving up inner peace. The fatigue of not doing something will then cause even more procrastination and kills even more of your motivation.
The cycle continues. The escape becomes increasingly difficult. You find more and more excuses and distractions from doing what really matters. You become a master staller. You defy any helpful technique and advice to break the pattern because your case is special and that advice won’t work for you. You practically give up all control and let procrastination rule but you suffer the consequences, the fatigue, the anxiety, the unhappiness inside, the itch to do something about it to crush it and move on.
It is an undoubted truth, that the less one has to do, the less time one
finds to do it in. ~Earl of Chesterfield
To nudge you toward the right choice, I will go beyond inspiring you and telling you to read my book for finding your killer motivation. I will give you 18 ways to stop procrastination in your life. Here goes:
1. Determine if worth doing. You might just be procrastinating because you don’t want to do something for a good reason. It may be a job you hate, a procedure you can’t stand, a part of your life that you simply want to escape. That is different from procrastinating on your dreams and real goals. To this, I would say examine the task at hand before doing it because why do something you hate in 2011 with so many opportunities to do what we love?
2. Just do it already. I am not being facetious. Can you give it a go at least once and then roll your eyes at a great phrase that was ruined by the Nike Advertisers? Pick the thing you are procrastinating right now and just do it. Do a fraction of it. Then decide how you feel about the advice.
3. Do not put stock into your moods. So what if you don’t feel like doing it? What if you were in labor and didn’t feel like going through with it? What if you were stuck in traffic but didn’t feel like being there? What if you find yourself in an unsafe place and didn’t feel like getting out? You know what happens if you listen to that lousy mood? Bad things happen!
4. Commit to it loud and clear. In my 5:45am indoor cycling class, usually about 10 minutes in, a voice creeps in and tells me “Psst. This is way too hard and crazy. You can’t even keep up.” And I know right then that if I allow that mental shift, if I don’t commit loudly to the class and the instructor and the music, if I stare at the clock, then I might as well go home. Commit already. Commit loud. Commit and mean it. Commit to yourself.
5. Share your commitment. Choose one person, a partner, a spouse, a role model, a good friend, and tell them you committed to something specific, with dates and times, and can they please hold you accountable in a friendly but firm way?
6. Stop playing the victim card. Why is it that we glorify being a victim of circumstance? There is nothing sexy or healthy about playing the victim, trust me. Be your own hero instead. A warrior. Be strong and stand tall and be proud of yourself. Stop the victim mindset and when it creeps in, just change it by telling yourself that you are in charge.
7. Kill the excuses. In order to do this, you must first know the definition of an excuse. I will assume neither of us knows it so I looked it up – this is the 2nd definition: “a reason put forward to conceal the real reason for an action.” What will excuses ever bring you? Nothing but emptiness and regret so stop them.
8. Use the small chunks of time. The time excuse really bothers me; learn to manage it well. If you really cannot dedicate an hour or two a day to something that matters to you, there needs to be a fundamental shift in your lifestyle design. However, the 10-minute chunks can be a work of magic and if you seize every single one, you will astound yourself with results.
9. Decide on your mantra. Mantras are positive affirmations you repeat to yourself over and over. You can even synchronize your breathing. In-breath will do the first half of the mantra and out breath the second half. Some of my favorites are “If they can, so can I” and “It’s now or never”. Choose your own mantra and repeat it.
10. Turn a deaf ear to your inner voice. The inner voice is negative, it is your lizard brain, as Seth would tell us, and if you let it loose, it will destroy your mind with negativity. Stop listening to it altogether. Tell yourself you are entering your lizard brain when doubt sets in. And even if you don’t believe it at first, keep repeating your positive mantra to deafen the inner voice.
11. Do not accept the fear. Just reject it. Fear, procrastination’s best ally, is bound to show up. Just do not accept it. Do not invite it in. Engage it in conversation to calm your nerves, to be in charge, to have control. If you can do this once, you will never stop doing it so empowering and enabling it is!
12. Gain some perspective. Whatever it is you want to do that you are procrastinating is not going to kill you, it will not put you in the hospital, it will not rob you of your freedom. Have some perspective. Get to know yourself a little. Have a little faith. What IS the worst thing that can happen?
13. Create enough pain. As in, be in pain from not doing it. Not just fatigue but real pain. If you don’t want what you are procrastinating on badly enough, it’s not worth doing. If someone told me that they cannot get out of the corporate world because there is no other option for them, I’d simply say that they are not in enough pain so that the current option is just fine.
14. Ask yourself with brutal honesty. Who hasn’t had a conversation with oneself? Why not make it a good one? In the privacy of your thoughts, ask yourself why you are procrastinating, what it is, is it fear, is it laziness, is it lack of knowledge? What is at the soft core and listen to the whispers coming back. No, really. Do this.
15. Cultivate self-discipline. It’s either the pain of getting self-disciplined or tasting the bitter pill of regret later. When put in that perspective, it is a quick decision. To translate it to action, create your own small habits that will build up your productivity. Everyone is different. Build what works for you, maybe two hours early in the morning, maybe a Sunday night habit, maybe timing yourself, maybe working in complete isolation. Find that magic habit that works for you. That’s your self-discipline.
16. Make that deadline Count. Setting goals and deadlines are for the birds. Nothing could be easier than putting a date on the calendar but how do you make it count? You put some repercussions in place. If you are not done by this date, you have to give up on this dream. It’s over baby. You have to part with it and just move through the motions of anger and frustration but do not give yourself another opportunity. This mindset works and this deadline will count.
17. Share your progress. Why make this amazing progress in the dark? When you break through your procrastination, celebrate it by sharing with some of your friends, family or trusted mentors, teachers and advisors. Look at your visible progress and soak up the encouragement to do more and more going forward.
18. Reward yourself big. Huge even. We do not reward ourselves nearly enough. When you achieve your goal, the one you have been procrastinating for a long time, time to celebrate it, baby! Buy yourself something wonderful. Give yourself credit. Take a break and reflect on it. Look at your accomplishment with pride. This is a huge deal and when you master breaking through this barrier of procrastination, you will have crossed over a bridge and onto the other side of your self-evolution. Congratulations are in order!
“We must all suffer one of two things: the pain of discipline or the pain of regret and disappointment.”
Jim Rohn
I say choose your pain, then commit. I have tasted both pains. Self-discipline rocks over regret and disappointment any day of the week but the choice, as they say, is yours.
What are you procrastinating on, if anything at all?
Which pain are you going to choose?
And do you have #19th way of dealing with procrastination?
Use Your Inner Powers
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{ 100 brilliant comments, Care to add another? }
Thank you for this Farnoosh. I am a Procrastinator.
Dear Rochelle, you just procrastinate! Don’t label yourself, it’ll stick
!
Thank you so much for coming by!!! So glad this was useful. Please share it with your friends and network. I want this one to spread.
Complacence and procrastination has been in me for the pass 4 years. Some call it mid life crisis but most of the time I create a lot of excuses. I really need to get out of this cycle.
Patrick, no such thing as mid life crisis. It’s all in our minds. Excuses are a barrier though but again,that’s also mental. But do break the cycle at least once. Tell yourself you will break it once then you can go back to it and then when you do break free, you will realize the power of proof that you have and that will give you guts to break it again and hopefully for good!!!
Thank you very much Farnoosh. Mental exhaustion gets in the way too. I need the discipline to get up, break it and place my plans into actions.
I do hear you. Let me know if you wanna work with me to get rid of that though. I have a few tricks up my sleeve. Some tough love if you will
! Good luck, Patrick.
Farnoosh,
This is GREAT! Sometimes I’m there, gettin’ stuff done…and other times…it’s way too easy to put it off. So, this is great for me – and for those moments when I let procrastination creep in…
Lance, you have no idea how happy this makes me. And I am sure those moments are rare and far and in between for you. Thank you for stopping by, I have missed you. Big hugs!
I might have to print this out and have it on my desk. lol Thanks for the list!
Dearest Erin, so glad to hear this. While you are at it, would you be a doll and share it with others? I am now on a mission to spread the idea on ending procrastination and I can use your help. A million thanks and here’s to ending it for good!
Thanks Farnoosh. This is great. I will pass it on to others per your suggestion.
Dare to CARE.
Al
Dear Al, thanks for this and for your email. Thank you especially for sharing!!!
Farnoosh
We all have our moments with the mighty procrastination gremlin, I think that you really have to dig under the surface and work out what your particular soft spots are.
Can’t tell you how attractive the housework looks when I’m facing something I’m not feeling the love for.
Thanks for sharing the tips
Jackie, welcome to PL! So good to see you! And what a unique perspective …. work out our particular soft spots. I hear you.
! So I do hear you but I also think sometimes, #1 above applies the most. And thank you for your comment and love it if you shared this post over all others…
Well, my cleaning lady left just now. Let me tell you. I have a few regrets and one is that I didn’t pay for a cleaning lady earlier in my life
This post is very inspiring Farnoosh. It makes me want to start working on my tasks right away.
Dear Mirza (Iranian?), thank you thank you for sharing the inspiration you are feeling. Send this over to a friend or two if you get a chance please, would you?
You’re so right about the downward spiral, Farnoosh. My favorite procrastination-buster is to play a little game with myself. I tell myself, “You’re not really going to write that blog post. You’re just going to open Word,” or “You’re not really going to clean the bathroom. You’re just going to clean the mirror.” It would be okay if that were all I did because at least it would be a small step, but I can’t think of a single time I stopped once I got started. It’s the starting that’s so difficult.
Hi dear Sue, welcome here and thank you for sharing your thoughts!!! I love your game. Can I steal it away? A bit of sarcasm, a bit of reverse psychology. Hey, whatever works! And very entertaining to boot. A million thanks and feel free to share this one. I want everyone to stop procrastinating those awesome goals!
I like the mantra thing. “If they can do it, so can I.” So often I procrastinate because I look at the big picture and get frustrated because I don’t have it all figured out. I’m realizing that I’ll never have it all figured out. I’m learning to break projects into manageable chunks, and it’s helped me develop something that I’ve never had before…Focus. Thanks for sharing this.
Hello dear Jeremy (my brother in law is also a Jeremy – GREAT name!). Yes, the mantras work, I assure you. No, break it down. Small steps make giant progress over time!! And trust me, no one has it all figured out – not even those hot shots. If I can do anything else for you let me know and will you help me spread the word on procrastination by sharing this please? THANK YOU!
I have found that once I make a decision, the hard work is over. Momentum is on my side. Indecision is actually a slow decision to accept the status quo, filled with angst because other options are still open.
I am not a procrastinator myself by nature, but when I find that I’m not following through on what I said I would, that is a huge red flag for me that the path might not be right, or there are some emotional hang ups that need to be addressed.
Thank you for offering so many different suggestions that can be applied to a variety of situations – no procrastinating because the solution didn’t fit!
Hi dear Tammy, the hard work is over because you have committed. It is just a matter of time and effort after that, yes! Indecision is painful. I do hear you.
You know, you sound like you are in great sync with yourself and where things need to be. And maybe there is just some fine-tuning (Heck, I have a lot more than fine-tuning on my end!). You are very welcome and will you help me spread the word on procrastination by sharing this please? THANK YOU!
I have been practicing vinyasa yoga, mostly at home (a lengthy practice nearly every time) regularly for well over 4 years now. For the first time, last night, I did not have that ten-minute period starting out, of feeling all alone doing it—any primarily home exerciser, even one using a video, knows what I’m talking about. I have never really been able to afford yoga classes, but I’d grit my teeth and soldiered on. I now do not only yoga, but ecstatic dance (sometimes I treat myself to an actual 5 Rhythms class).
That ten-minute period did not show its ugly head.
Hello dear Tina, I am crazy about vinyasa yoga, and home practice: I am very impressed. You mean that in 4 years, you only had a lapse last night? Maybe you should be writing posts on procrastination, Tina!
And your attitude last night? I am still in awe and shock of your perseverance. BRAVO! I do hope you that a fortune befalls you so that you go to any yoga class your heart desires. This is the most touching comment. Thank you, thank you, dear Tina, and please share this post with someone you love.
Last night—doing vinyasa yoga—I did not have that USUAL ten-minute period starting out [for a lengthy practice nearly every time]. I did 79 minutes of practice with no resistance to starting … THAT’S what I’d hoped to convey.
Hi dear Tina, 79 minutes? You are amazing. And thanks for clarifying it. Sounds great. Do you have a blog about your yoga or do you just do it (the latter is far more important of course). All the best and Namaste!
Hi Farnoosh,
This is a great post. It’s so true that when we procrastinate on starting or completing a task it eventually takes up more energy than it would have taken to just get the task done, or make the decision to let go of the task/project.
Regarding suggestion #10 and not listening to your inner voice, I think it depends which inner voice we’re talking about. There is the incessant ego/inner critic chatter that probably does need to be sent on a long walk or told to pipe down. But there is also your Inner Voice–or higher self, soul, whatever you want to call it–and that’s a quiet little voice that you DO want to listen to because it will offer you the wisdom and guidance to identify the important tasks or projects that keep you aligned with your purpose. We often end up taking on projects/activities/tasks that we think we “should” be doing, yet at some level we know they’re not aligned with what we need to be doing, so we procrastinate on those tasks instead of letting them go or delegating them, if that’s an appropriate option.
By the way, the photo of the orchid you’ve used for this post is just stunning. I love the contrast between the sharp, clear focus of the flower and the softness of the blurry background.
Dearest Sue, that photo was taken (by me, believe it or not – I am still in shock
), courtesy of my own camera because the art comes from that and not me, in a Toronto cafe two weeks ago.
So, Sue, you are ABSOLUTELY right! I am talking about the first inner voice. I think what you are talking about is what I address in #1 which is to first of all identify if we should even be doing this task, because the core of delaying it may very well be, as you said, because it’s not the right thing for us. Thank you so much for clarifying – believe it or not, I love it when my readers correct me. And would you be kind enough to share this with someone so we can end procrastination together?
Excellent article Farnoosh, I have shared same with my friends on Facebook, well written..keep up the great work !
Thank you dear Kareen. Makes me so so happy. And I shall keep it up so long as I have readers like you!
Dear Farnoosh,
This is a truly amazing post. You have gotten deep into the mindset and dug out the very hard hitting reasons/psyche behind it.
# 12, #13, #14 and #15 are absolutely bang on. “Create enough pain” – yes, darling, I totally agree. If you don’t know how much your heart is aching due to your not giving it, you will never get down to doing it.
I am going to share this everywhere – FB, Twitter and later on – on my blog.
You put so much thought into your articles, my dear. Thank you for being genuinely helpful. Hugs
Hello dearest Rashmie, so lovely to see you here. I am glad those particular ones resonated with you. Now I know you even better. How lovely for me! You know the feelings that I am describing and that means so much.
Thank you so much for offering to share it. I know that we can make a difference by driving these messages even in the scale of our little world. Hugs!
Farnoosh, this was amazing. Seriously. I could go on and on about what I loved about it (btw, I’m a HUGE Jim Rohn fan, have listened to everything he ever recorded about 5,439 times
), but I want to focus on #13 for a second.
I don’t think most people understand the pain principle that you’ve discussed here, but I know it’s the key for so much of what I’m able to accomplish. The reality is this– Until we relate more pain to staying where we are to the pain of actually attempting something new, we’re going to get nowhere.
So that’s what I do. I make staying where I am painful. I want it to hurt. And then I want it to kick me in the butt, just like it does you at 5:45am every morning.
Ahhh yes, powerful stuff my friend. Love what you write and the way you think Farnoosh. I just hope those that need this article the most are able to enjoy it as much as I have.
Marcus
Hello dear Marcus, fancy seeing you here, dear friend! I should have used a quote from you instead of Jim Rohn, you are an incredible role model and your schedule of treadmill or elliptical at night BEFORE you get to work is phenomenal. Thank you for sharing your thoughts on my favorite aspect of this: Creating ENOUGH pain. It’s really hard to convey but when people find themselves in that position, it’s a complete no-brainer. It’s time to exit and hopefully if you have a strategy, then you can fly rather than fall !
To have your words of approval here seals the deal. I am just thrilled to write stuff that gets a nod from you, Marcus. Take good care and keep shining ever so brightly. Thanks for your comment.
Hi,
I love #9 since I use affirmations often. I will make up an affirmation ans begin to utilize it daily. Thank you so much for your article. Sally
Thank you dear, dear Sally. I am with you on that. Tell me how things go with those affirmations. Incidentally, my co-host and I are doing podcasts on those topics, if you are interested: SOF.
Hi Farnoosh,
Great post!
My biggest hangups are self-discipline, boredom, and burn out.
Self discipline I am working on through cultivation of good habits.
Tasks that are mind numbing and boring are hard for me to start or get past.. Burnout is self- explanatory… I have to use a lot of pain for those last two.
I even procrastinate about going to bed… there is too many interesting things to be doing.
Speaking of which… Time for bed!
Hi Chris, thank you so much. Oh those are big problems but I think they go hand in hand. So you get bored with what you WANT to do or what you think you HAVE to do? I think it’s hard to get bored with the first one. Why not do something about those mind-numbing tasks….. I know I may be simplifying it too much but it’s just a nudge in the right direction. Thanks again for being here.
Good morning Farnoosh,
The boredom and burnout go hand in hand for sure. A lot of my burnout and mind numbing tasks is centered around IT work… part of the reason I have moved into blogging. I am really pushing myself to go another direction.
Nonetheless- it still exposes issues that I need to correct in the procrastination department. If I had the money, I would get myself a talented PA to do everything I hate doing… then again doing things you don’t like could be considered part of personal development…. .
Anyways- keep the articles coming. But not too many… otherwise I might keep reading and put off doing other things….
Did I just say that out loud?
Oh the IT world bored me out of my mind. That’s NOT a procrastination issue. That is a “doing what you don’t love” issue. It cost me a 6-figure salary, and I left a ton of things on the table but I refused to be that bored out of my mind anymore. It’s a tough choice but it’s not about procrastination, Chris. I *know* you will find the right solution for you soon. Thanks for the taking my intensity in the right spirit
!
You have to expect intensity with anyone who has gone after a CCIE cert
Wonderful, inspiring stuff as always Farnoosh, I have previously enjoyed reading this on procrastination, and wanted to share it with you and your readers if you haven’t seen it yet;
Healthy & Wellbeing
Hi Patrick, thank you so much. And I’ll check out the reference right now.
Hi Farnoosh, I´m procrastinating right now by reading your post instead of writing my own
But it is worth it!
Fear and lack of passion (another way to say lack of pain) are the two greatest obstacles for getting things done. At least for me.
Thank you for the inspiring text!
Hi dear Tom, I hope you got to that post or else I have to stop writing altogether so you get your work done
!
Too funny but thanks so so much for sharing your thoughts.
PS: Tom, I got a linkback to a post you wrote but it was in German and it linked to this post. Can I just say THANK YOU and Danke
!
Farnoosh,
This is an excellent post. I’m drawn to #1. The peace I feel when I do complete a task is wonderful. You don’t realize the stress you’re under when a task goes uncompleted until you feel the difference afterward. What a revelation! I was experiencing this plus a great deal of frustration over not being able to upload my book to Kindle. Once I accepted the fact that I needed help (thanks to you!) I was calm again. What a relief. Procrastination in my case is usually due to fear. Face your fear and do it anyway and get the damn thing done!
Hi dear Angela, how lovely lovely to see you here. Yes, #1 was a huge one and the peace is exactly what should propel us forward and kill our procrastination. And we can’t wait to help you on that project, Angela. You will shine in the Kindle store! Thanks for stopping by. Please share this one post because I am determined to end procrastination as the #1 thing people struggle with.
Thanks. I too am a procrastinator. So bad so that I was procrastinating reading this. I was thinking you should have (online) boards. Then we could share our progress with other reader and be held accountable! Thanks for all your inspiration. Now I have to get started on something!
Hi Sandra (or is it really Snadra?).
You are funny and I’d like to have online boards but what are they? Do you mean forums? Well, I do have something similar: You can join my LinkedIn Group and we do have discussions and talk about topics and inspire one another:LinkedIn Group: Smart Habits for Body, Mind and Heart. Love to have you!
Yup that’s exactly what I was referring to. I don’t exactly know why we call them boards down here. Anyways, thanks! I’ll be sure to join…and maybe spell-check next time.
Don’t even worry – they used to be many different names over the life of the internet. Where’s “down here”? If it’s Australia, I am delighted to say I am heading over there soon, and nice to meet you, Sandra. Thanks for commenting.
Australia? Not even close to any place that glamorous. I’m in Miami.
Thanks for the warm welcome.
Wow. I’ve been doing a lot of reading on procrastination, because it’s a huge problem for me, and this is the most useful information I’ve seen so far.
6 & 7 resonated the most. I have asthma and I’ve been playing the victim, as if that’s making my life too difficult to do what I really want to do. It’s become an excuse that has no merit because the reality is, it’s just an inconvenience- not a real obstacle.
This is my first visit to your wonderful blog. I’m subscribing right now!
Hi dear Christina, welcome here. I am so glad you feel that way and would you be willing to share this with your friends and peers? I wrote this and then went on a mission to stop procrastination. I am still shocked it’s the number one thing people struggle with and I really want to spread the ideas here.
I do feel for you in regards to your asthma but yes, do not let it stop you. Usually, people with any kind of personal struggle capitalize on all the benefits – like increased motivation to succeed – and I am sure you will make things work in your favor. Thanks for your comment and for joining us here.
Hi Farnoosh,
Excellent tips, bookmarked for future reference. Procrastination is not your friend, don’t invite him to join the party.
be good to yourself
David
Thank you for stopping by here, David. I am not inviting it to the party anymore.
That’s for sure! In fact, I want it to get banned from every party, so help me spread the word please.
very nice one farnoosh
procrastination is such a bad trait , thanks for giving us advice on now to deal with it
Dear Farouk, long time since I have seen you. Thank you so much and please share this one post (I am selective when I ask and this one is a big one) so we stop procrastination altogether
!
This is one of my favorites and one I teach in my convention speeches. While I try to dwell on the positive aspects of goal setting, it can be very helpful for people to explicitly note the downside of choosing not to follow through with a goal.
Good stuff, as usual.
Hi dear Alison, so nice to see you here. And it’s always lovely when my readers pick out my own favorite parts of the post. Yes, the positive side should rule but sometimes, a bit of reality is a good thing to inject. Thanks for stopping by to share this.
Exposing the truth of procrastination! Typically if I’m procrastinating on something it’s out of fear – so I have my bag of mind tricks that I play on myself to get beyond it. Over the years it used to surprise me how great I felt after doing the thing I was putting off – or the thing I feared (usually the same thing). So sometimes I take one m&m as my courage pill or a shot glass of cold water – mixed in self talk and that usually does it. Some things require more the bag of silly mind tricks – but all that matters is that nothing looms. Procrastination does exhaust and fatigue us. Get more done, get more energy and feel better by getting it off the plate!
Loved this post!
Hi Aileen, “bag of mind tricks” – love it. And yes, it is shocking and surprising just how amazing and empowered we feel AFTER we do the stuff we procrastinate on. Thank you for the powerful talk here, I cannot be happier that you and I picked each other for co-hosting our podcast. With this attitude, I hope we can spread these ideas far and fast. Thanks for stopping by!
It’s all about Motivation Baby!!!
Another wonderful post Farnoosh.
You Are Awesome!
Patrick
You are back! The community is complete now, Patrick. And thank you for being my partner in crime when it comes to motivation!
Great tips! Re #2, if I really really REALLY hate what I have to do, I set a timer for 15 minutes. Knowing that’s all the longer I need to do it makes it bearable–and I usually end up continuing even when the buzzer goes off!
Hi Nancy, thank you and welcome here. Why do what you really really hate in the first place though? I’d not advocate it. Is there anyway to get out of it? Or delegate it to someone else? Thanks for sharing your thoughts!
Right now I am the only person who can do it. It’s not really so bad, actually, just time-consuming and boring. But I have to admit I feel better when it’s done, so that makes it worthwhile.
Hi dear Nancy, actually did you see the latest post I wrote? I think your comment got me thinking!!! Thanks for coming back and sharing more and see you soon again hopefully.
All great tips! Love the one on moods the best!
have a wonderful night!
Fantastic to hear it. Makes me very happy!
Thank you dear Sheila!
Farnoosh, great job on this list. I don’t think I’ve ever come across this type of detail and wisdom when battling procrastination.
I especially enjoyed Jim Rohn’s quote, “We must all suffer one of two things: the pain of discipline or the pain of regret and disappointment.” Nice touch.
Gives me much to ponder. Thank you.
Then, dear, I insist that you share it
! Seriously, I am really trying to spread this particular post because my goodness, procrastination drives me crazy and if we can reduce it in ourselves and others, we can get SO MUCH accomplished together. So glad you enjoyed it. So so glad! Thanks for your comment.
Hey Farnoosh,
I think #5 is extremely important!
Accountability is essential on killing procrastination.
Sharing our goals with our loved ones and people we cannot let down will gives us that extra push to accomplish anything we set out to do!
Love your site!
Hi Jesus, thank you so much for commenting. Accountability is one of my favorites, and one of the general least favorites. So glad you enjoyed the post and the site – thank you for telling me! And hope this was useful info!
Hi Farnosh,
I just came over from reading your guest post on BasicBlogTips. The first thing that caught my eye was your beautiful Persian name, then of course your fantastic article pulled me in. I am glad I did click on your link. What a great site!
I struggle with procrastination every second of my life, and that’s not because I am lazy or don’t want to work. I have 2 full time offline jobs and I run a few small businesses online as well. My problem is my deep and very sever depression caused by years of drug abuse (have been clean for 5 years now). Sometimes I feel like I just can’t go any further. I lose motivation, interest and everything becomes meaningless.
Thankfully, my addictive personality comes to my rescue (at least for once in my life it does something positive) most of the time. Yes, I am a workaholic and a neat freak, so I can’t stand having unfinished tasks for long.
Thanks for such great tips. I love your tips about creating mantras. I am a firm believer of positive thinking and that makes total sense to me.
Dear Satrap, thank you so so much for all the kindness you give me here… and for being so open in your comment. I don’t think you are lazy at all. I am just glad you are no longer doing substance abuse and have come out of it. Motivation: I struggled with it for years until I found my way out and wrote my book and try to live by those principles every day – one is having a mantra and being positive, attitude is everything, dear! Stay positive and thank you for your comment; so glad you enjoyed this post.
Such a great post and I love the quotes. Procrastination is such a devious little activity that has a way of wasting so many great opportunities in our lives and causes us to mull over the things we should have done deteriorating our sense of fulfillment.
Hi Patrick, thank you – be sure to share it – I want this one to reach everyone who procrastinates… a devious little activity, huh? I think of it more as a prevention to any useful activity we might want to have but I think I see what you mean. Thanks for stopping by!
One of the most practical and useful ways of coping with procrastination I’ve seen.
So glad you think so, Michael, and feel free to spread it around and put them to use if need be. Thank you!
Farnoosh
I’m home again!!
Wow.
I read it, then I sent it to the two most insane procrastinators I know (and I have to say- I was startled when I read my name!!) THEN, I read it again. This is a great post and fantastic list. Thank you for sharing this. (This will also help me stay motivated on playing “catch up” after being in the field for 50 Days!)
~Amber-Lee
@girlygrizzly
Hi dear Amber-Lee, so nice to read your reply here, nice to see you. Ok you have to help me, as I am confused: What do you mean, you read your name??
As in, you are the most insane procrastinator you know? Oh come on! I am sure you are not that bad and the fact that you are reading this post and going to do something about it is in itself FANTASTIC! Lovely to see you here.
(snort-snicker) No, I do not consider myself a terrible procrastinator…. but I have been surrounded for years and habits ARE contagious! The email, subscription, thing I get when you write a new post!! Towards the end, it said, “My one request from you, Amber-lee: Send this to at least one
friend or one family member that can benefit from ending procrastination
in their life. ” ~I about chocked! (cute) I might have zoned a bit without the name! ~Amber-Lee
Oh the email!! I see, yes, yes Amber, I know your name in the email and I was talking to you, so I am thrilled that it worked. Thank you, thank you for telling me and for sharing, and for being a reader. Come back anytime!!!
Awesome stuff Farnoosh!
Procrastination can seem like such a huge mountain to climb, but conquering it means a very different life…
Love number 13 – Pain is the greatest motivator and really grasping the long term implications of succumbing to procrastination on our lives and the lives of those around us can often give us the wake-up call we need to move forward…
That and having one kind of accountability partner are definitely top steps on my path. Thanks for sharing all these.
Hi dear Jym,
! Just kidding – he quietly nudges me!! Hope to see you again and please share this with another friend that might enjoy it too.
Oh I love how you put it, how it means a very different life. I love that phrase. Welcome here and thank you for sharing your thoughts. I am so glad you enjoyed the tips and thoughts here. I’ve never had too many accountability partners, but my husband is always happy to have a reason to yell at me if I give him one
This is one of the best articles on overcoming procrastination that I’ve seen yet.
I really agree with your emphasis on will power. But for the kind of clinical-procrastination that negatively impacts the life quality of 15-20% of our population there needs to be a greater emphasis on motivational science.
Too many people just don’t see how important that “reward” of the procrastination busting equation is in overcoming truly life-interfering procrastination.
The best neuro-behavioral science says we need positive reinforcement, optimally delivered, to effect the kind of behavior change that replaces serious procrastination with sustained and thus motivated action.
There’s no such thing as good vs bad or “constructive procrastination”. Real procrastinators don’t get that work or school assignment done. Their lives are devastated as a result. Will power takes practice for serious procrastinators and that practiced will power must be reinforced.
Thought provoking article! – Thank you.
Thank you so so much, Duddy, for your insights here, and for sharing additional thoughts that are very useful to know in terms of procrastination. I am very happy you found the information here useful. I agree that sometimes, it’s just procrastination – and it affects us negatively because of the constraints on what we need to do. Perhaps, there is room for some procrastination to allow creativity flow. I think overall though, we need to stay on top of it.
Very late to the party, but this is an awesome and wonderful post. So helpful, and given me a kick to just get started, with some really helpful tactics and techniques. Thank you!
You have arrived at precisely the right time, Philippa, and I am so glad you found it useful.
That’s a beautiful way of looking at it. Yes, it *was* just the right time.
Funny you were writing this when I was procrastinating the most! But, alas I have only recently found you and this one hits home. I have been slowly coming out of “procrastination land” and into new territory… thank you for helping that along! Definitely will share!
Hi dear Kalaya, so glad that the timing worked so well. Come out and go into that new territory …. So so glad you enjoyed this, thanks so much for sharing with me.
Thank you thank you thank
Great site, I am printing this and putting it on my wall!
I have so much work to do it’s overwhelming, I have to do something, I am at the ” losing motivation” part. Phew thank goodness I found you, a breath of fresh air!
H.J., so wonderful to hear this was inspiring for you – you are very welcome and you can totally change your ways. Time to flow with motivation
!
Hello, Farnoosh. I am only 15, but with all the school work I have and regular cravings for rests. I felt that I was in dire need of help, and that is exactly what this update has just provided me with.
Thank you. I will never be able to exude my gratitude enough.
Jide
Dear Jide, so happy to hear it. Stay positive, and come back to this blog anytime you like.
Thanks Farnoosh, I will.
Jide
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