I’ve watched an awesome video by Mel Robbins on how to stop procrastinating. Here’s what I’ve learned:
You, me, and most people we know have the bad habit of procrastinating. Not good.
We do it at work. We do it at home. We do it with our personal goals and most things we want to avoid or are afraid of.
Think about your health. If you suspect you have a bad tooth, you wait until it hurts to go to the dentist. That’s procrastinating.
Personally, I hate driving, so I find a million excuses not to do my driving test. That’s procrastinating. Also, I hate being treated on my knowledge, so I’ve been delaying my CeMAP exams for ages. That’s procrastinating.
Mel Robbins says that “procrastination is a form of stress relief“. In simple terms, procrastination is delaying the one thing that causes you stress, anxiety, or, better yet, avoiding the one thing you’re afraid of and don’t want to deal with.
Let’s say you have this great idea and want to start a business. You’ll find many reasons not to start. You want to plan it before you get started, or maybe you decide you should do some market research. After that, you struggle to come up with a business name and the colours of your branding. Well, the reality is that you’re afraid of failing, and instead of making your dream a reality, you’re procrastinating.
You need to change your mindset.
Someone once told me that if you don’t try it, you’ll never know what could have happened.
If you don’t do it, nobody will do it for you.
If you have a dream, a goal, or a task, just go for it. It is better to regret something you’ve done than for something you haven’t done.
How to stop procrastinating?
Be truthful to yourself. Mell says, and I agree with her that you need to identify what stresses you out. Think about the reason why you’re avoiding doing anything. Then think about the possible outcomes. What will it happen if you go ahead and just do it, and what will happen if you continue to avoid those things?
There’s a very high chance that if you do nothing, nothing will happen, and nothing will change.
But what if you act and do what you’ve been delaying for so long? Could anything positive happen to you? Would you be a step closer to your goals? Probably yes.
Don’t be afraid of rejection if you need to make a sales call. You might just make a sale. Make that call. Worst case scenario, the prospect will say no. Is that the end of the world? No, it isn’t. It just means you are one step closer to finding the customer who will say yes and buy your product.
Procrastinating may delay the consequences of your actions, but it doesn’t stop you from stressing over something that you haven’t done yet.
You just have to overcome your habit of procrastinating and get things done. You’ll feel powerful, realised and productive when you change your mindset.
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