By default we ALL have a tendency to put things off and to use as little energy as possible. If our minds get their way, we’d all be lazy, forever!
The good thing is:
We can overwrite this default mode!
Would you like to procrastinate on reading this article? Watch the video instead:
Why Do We Procrastinate?
The first thing to know to overcome procrastination is the real problem.
The mistake many people make when it comes to procrastination is that they think it is an issue with time management and productivity. As a result, they try useless techniques like the pomodoro method, scheduling tasks or things like that.
In reality, procrastination is a psychological problem, not one of time management.
There are 2 main causes of procrastination:
Firstly, it’s a survival mechanism.
Our minds want to avoid effort at all costs, which stems from prehistoric times.
Back then we were more active and food was scarce. So if we exerted more energy than we could get through food, then we’d be unable to carry on and risk dying. Part of our mind (the limbic system) still thinks like that and thus it wants to avoid doing anything that isn’t essential to our survival.
And so, we all tend to procrastinate unless we force ourselves out of this automatic mode.
Secondly:
The second reason why we procrastinate is because of some sort of fear. The fears of failure, being laughed at, not fitting in, the unknown and criticism are some of the most common ones. When these fears are bigger than our desire to win, we tend to procrastinate.
How to Overcome Procrastination Long-Term
Think of our mindset as a scale:
On one hand, you have your desires while on the other hand you have the fears and other mental barriers that hold you back and keep you stuck in life:
When the desire to succeed is heavier than the fear, you’ll take action.
To prevent procrastination, there are two main options:
- To intensify your desire
- To reduce your mental barriers.
In order to strengthen your desire to succeed, you need to have a deeply emotional reason to succeed. Something small and shallow like “I want to make more money in my side hustle” isn’t nearly strong enough!
In order to find this kind of purpose and desire, use a technique called the trail of whys.
In this video, I break down an example of this technique:
On the other side of the scale, we have fear.
One of the best things you can do in this case is to force yourself.
This is because our minds will always assume the worst case scenario. It’s another protection mechanism we all have. However, when you push through and take action, you start to prove your fears wrong!
By doing that, you start to reduce the fear of the unknown.
You also increase your confidence and your competency at the same time.
There’s a reason you’re probably not scared of driving or doing the main tasks at your job. It’s because you’ve done it so often that you feel completely competent and confident doing it, because you’ve done it so often!
With the things you procrastinate on, you don’t have that… yet!
Note:
If you want to skyrocket your confidence in every area of your life, check out this free training! In just 3 days you will learn the confidence-building lessons that took me a decade to discover!
The Quickest Hack to Overcome Procrastination
The bad news:
Overcoming procrastination for real takes time and effort.
The good news:
There are some quick hacks that you can use to overcome it today and start taking action now!
These are accountability and stakes.
Here’s an example that combines both:
One of my mentors talked about how he started improving his social skills. He was at a party where he only knew 2 or 3 people. But what he did was give $200 to one of his friends. He told him “Every time I go and actively talk to a new person, you hand me back $20.”.
And he was able to conquer his nerves and procrastination.
This method works well because he would lose face if he didn’t take action, which is a painful psychological consequence. Additionally, he has an additional “reward” for taking action, besides him overcoming his anxiety.
Putting This Into Practice, TODAY!
So, how can you overcome procrastination today with these 2 factors?
Follow these steps:
The first thing to do is to prioritize. Because you can do almost anything in life, but you cannot do everything at once. So you firstly need to pick a certain goal or action that you’re going to focus on.
Once you’re clear on your goal, take out your phone.
Either call or text at least 10 people close to you. Tell them what you’re going to do, when you’re going to do it by and ask them to check in on you. Be firm in your language (I.E. “I will” rather than “I would like”).
Congratulations, your reputation and status are now on the line!
To take it a step further, I’d recommend finding 1 person that you trust completely and make a sort of “bet” on your success. Take a substantial amount of money and give it to them to hold hostage. Tell them to give it back when you do what you said you were going to do, either upon completion of the goal (within the time limit) or in increments based upon your proof of action.
Note:
Please see how I highlighted the word “substantial”. In terms of stakes a simple $5 or $10 is NOT going to be effective. It’s about tipping the scales and an insignificant amount of money is not going to outweigh the cost of taking the uncomfortable actions.
You know you hit the sweet spot when losing the money would send you into panic mode.
It might sound extreme, but it works like crazy!