Moving Beyond Procrastination: 3 Powerful Strategies to Empower You to Take Action

Moving Beyond Procrastination: 3 Powerful Strategies to Empower You to Take Action
Are you like me? Do you delay, prolong and stretch out some tasks? We all do it. We even joke about procrastination. We tease others about it. However,  when procrastination seriously gets in the way of our productivity, it hinders our ability to positively impact our team and the work our organization does.

Yet, in some ways, we seem resigned to dealing with procrastination. It's just a part of life. Right? It doesn't have to be. 

Let's look at 3 common reasons why we procrastinate and three strategies to deal with three types of procrastination.

Which one of these is you?
The reasons we put off task fall into three categories. Review the following to discover which reason matches your current procrastination slump and find a strategy for dealing with it.

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1️⃣ We procrastinate because: The task makes us feel uncomfortable
In this situation, the job in front of you feeds your resistance.

• You might need to have a difficult conversation with someone and address their performance issues. That makes you feel queasy. 
• The task ahead of you stretches you outside your comfort zone. You may not know what the expectations are of you, and you're a bit nervous.

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​🟡 The Strategy for Overcoming Procrastination
If the task in front of you makes you uncomfortable, name it to tame it. 

• By pausing and identifying what's going on under the surface, you'll get a handle on the emotions triggering your procrastination.

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​🟢 It is your emotions that stop your actions.
Naming the emotion you feel allows you to deal with your resistance to the task in front of you.

• When I say I'm apprehensive about how this conversation will turn out, I can remind myself that I need to take a deep breath first. I will make sure I am well prepared. I can also schedule it at a time that allows for fresh energy, perhaps earlier in the morning. 
  • Naming the anxiety allowed me to address it instead of the anxiety paralyzing me.
• When I recognize I'm scared about chairing the upcoming meeting, I can use the fear as a cue. The fear reminds me that I see value in this group. It can help me connect with why this is important for me to do. I might remind myself that I joined this committee because it can make a big difference for our clients. 
  • Naming the fear allows me to move through the feelings of apprehension rather than it hindering me.

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2️⃣ We procrastinate because: The NEXT task makes us feel uncomfortable
​Try finishing these sentences:

• If I finish this project, I will have to….
• When I finish this project, the next step will be…

​What emotion did the next task bring up for you?

• It might be that you will have more work to do.
  • That makes you feel overwhelmed.
• You may be seen as more competent and be assigned more duties.
  • This makes you feel anxious.
• It might take you to the next level of training.
  • That might make you feel nervous.

The subsequent feeling about what happens next has you procrastinating on the current project.

🟡 The Strategy for Overcoming Procrastination
Take time to recognize the links. Notice what is coming up after the task you are procrastinating on.

🟢 Make notes of your fears and your anxiety about the next step. 
Then, go back to the first strategy. Name it to tame it. Naming the emotions allows you to get a handle on it. Being in control of your emotions puts you back into motion.

​3️⃣ We procrastinate because: We are depleted
The most often overlooked reason we procrastinate is that we are truly depleted. We are like cell phones. We run out of charge. The problem is that most of us only plug back in briefly. Bumping back up to a 10% charge prevents us from functioning adequately. Before long, we are feeling drained again. When you're running on empty, it's extremely difficult to focus and use brainpower.

​🟡 The Strategy for Overcoming Procrastination
If you are truly depleted, it's time to fill your cup back up!
Take time to:

• Rest and recharge
• Give yourself a real break. Take at least an evening to shut off completely and do something that refuels you. 
• Eat several times daily, and make sure you include lots of protein. 
• Our brains burn 20% of our daily calorie burn. We need to fuel our brains. Protein is critical for that. ​

​The 3 strategies:
​​Employing these strategies to move through resistance will put you back in control. 

1. Noticing the emotional connection to what is happening helps you regain momentum. 
2. Remember, name it to tame it. 
3. And please don't forget to recharge fully.

​Are you ready to transform your approach to time management? Join "The Emotions of Time Management" course designed exclusively for women leaders in nonprofit organizations. In it, you'll:

1- Master Proven Time Management Strategies: 
Learn 3 powerful time management strategies

2 - Identify Hidden Roadblocks: 
Uncover the emotional barriers holding you back from effective time management
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3 - Create Lasting Change: 
Learn practical tools and actionable steps to integrate time management practices into your daily routine

Learn more about The Emotions of Time Management here