Quick Tip: Steps To Stop Procrastination
Small Changes Make Big Differences
Have you found yourself procrastinating on things you want to do? If so, you are actually using your creativity, unfortunately in the negative direction. A creative mind can come up with all sorts of reasons and thoughts about scary outcomes, why it won’t work, how it isn’t the right time, or how whatever you want to accomplish won’t be good enough.
However, have you noticed that once you finally get yourself to take some action, that things start flowing? It seems that when you make the choice to sit down and take even the smallest step, something magical happens. The negative voice gets quieter, and you find yourself settling into the task. When days or weeks later the task is done, you feel great. If you were to look back to the first action step, you’d see that it gave you momentum with each small step. Accomplishing even the smallest step in the right direction will move you toward your goal.
If you ever procrastinate about doing something, experiment with the following…
8 STEPS to Changing the Procrastination Habit:
- Think about something you procrastinate about.
- Stop and be curious – take a moment to listen-in to find any thoughts that are going on in your mind. As you think back to an time when you procrastinate notice: What did you think (say to yourself) right before you procrastinated?
- Notice any emotions that came up before you procrastinated.
- When searching your memory for any thoughts and emotions, keep coming back to being curious not trying to make anything happen. In a curious state of mind. you’ll find that you can access information that is kept underneath conscious awareness.
- In this step you begin to think of the task and create a list of the tiny steps you’d need to take in the direction of the goal you want to accomplish. Ask yourself if there are any even smaller steps , so tiny that they would be so easy to do that you wouldn’t procrastinate on them.
- Next, be curious about this statement: While holding your pen in your non-dominant hand, gently close your eyes. |
Think about this:
a. what do you need emotionally that would make it easier to take the steps towards the goal?
b. What thoughts would be more beneficial in moving you towards your goal?
7. There is a self-hypnotic technique called, Deep Trance Identification. It is something I teach my clients to do. It is an advanced tool – yet experiment with it and see what happens.
a. In this technique you simply think of someone in your life, or in the movies who takes action on their goals. Perhaps someone who you think of as a courageous, powerful person.
b. Imagine that you can shrink down and act as if you can look at the world through that persons eyes. It’s like being at one with this person you respect. Then notice what they feel when they face a challenging situation. Notice what they are feeling and thinking that makes it easy for them to take steps in the direction of goals.
c. Experiment trying on the other persons way of looking at the world (feelings and thoughts).
8. Imagine that you already have what is needed to move ahead. It might be confidence, trust, joy or an inner sense that all will be alright, as you think about taking a tiny step towards your goal.