Are you a chronic procrastinator? I think we could all say yes to that question at some point or another. Maybe you’ve tried all the tips and tricks to avoid procrastination and are wondering why it’s still a problem for you. In Episode 84 of Just One Simple Thing, you’ll learn the one secret to overcoming procrastination.
We are in the middle of a series on Waiting and Procrastinating. In Episode 82, we talked about how to tell if you are waiting on God, or procrastinating. In Episode 83, we learned from King David about how to wait well. And in this episode, I’m going to share with you the one surprising thing you can do to overcome procrastination.
If you google “how to stop procrastinating”, you’ll find a ton of articles with all kinds of helpful tips …. Like starting with one simple step, making the thing you want to do the easiest thing to do, and creating short-term deadlines.
But jumping straight to those strategies skips an important step … the MOST important step in overcoming procrastination.
You have to understand WHY you are procrastinating.
Because all those tips and hacks and strategies address the symptoms of procrastination, but if you don’t address the WHY, you’ll just find another way to avoid doing what you need to do.
Let’s look at a few real reasons you may be procrastinating, and how you can deal with those, and then maybe you can make some progress in your battle against putting things off.
1. Sometimes you procrastinate because you are overwhelmed by a big project and don’t know where to start. Either you have no plan … just a long, jumbled to-do list, OR you may be trying to over-plan… lay out every little detail before you start. For a big project, it’s best to break it down into phases, then create a plan for each phase.
2. Maybe you procrastinate because you are afraid whatever you do, it won’t be good enough, so why even start? Remember that YOU get to define the standard of what “good” is … of what “finished” looks like. Progress happens in different ways for everyone.
3. You put off doing the things you don’t like to do. And honestly, this one is the easiest to overcome. It’s where those hacks and tips come in handy … make the thing you need to do the easiest thing to do, limit your distractions, commit to work on it just 10 minutes.
ACTION STEP
Look at the one thing you’ve been putting off the longest and figure out why you are avoiding it. Then come up with one simple step you can take to get started.
In the next episode, we’ll wrap up the series by talking about what to do when a season of waiting is over. I’ve heard from so many people about how this series has helped them. If you are one of them, please share it with a friend!
RESOURCES
14 Practical Ways for Procrastinators
A Scientific Guide on How to Stop Procrastinating
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