How to Stop Procrastinating

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When you quit procrastinating you feel better, have more energy, and you get more things done! Learn how to stop procrastinating and feeling lazy for good.

Why Should You Stop Procrastinating?

  • A stressor is immediately removed
  • You feel better
  • Your energy raises
  • You get more done
  • You become more efficient

There is NO drawback to not procrastinating.

Not procrastinating becomes a super power.

And when you aren’t resisting doing things that you know you are going to end up doing anyway, you clear the way for more energy in your life! It’s amazing. It’s simple. And it works.

Why Do I Procrastinate????

You know what you SHOULD be doing but you can’t make yourself do it! You put things off, until the tension and discomfort builds, and then you finally get something done.

However, living with procrastination and feeling lazy feels like crap. There really is a way to stop feeling lazy and procrastinating.

How Do I Stop Feeling Lazy?

I was tired of the pain that procrastinating causes. Even when you have accepted that “it’s just the way you are” it’s still painful. The energy of having something nipping at your heels while you resist just doesn’t feel good.

I would actually feel lazy because I was putting so many things off. Learning how to get things done by understanding your own procrastination profile will help you feel productive instead.

When you quit procrastinating you feel better, have more energy, and you get more things done! Learn how to stop procrastinating and being lazy for good.

Are you a procrastinator?

Many people call themselves procrastinators. I was one of them. I felt that being a procrastinator was a personal flaw but one that I couldn’t change. So, if you feel like that at times, then this might be helpful for you because

I have some good news about procrastination.

Most people don’t procrastinate about everything—just certain things. They have things that they procrastinate about and the resulting energy block makes everything feel worse. It can feel huge, like you do procrastinate about everything. But you don’t and that IS good news!

When you are actively resisting doing something that you know you are going to have to do at some time, you are creating an energy block that can keep you stuck. This is NOT a fun feeling.

Is Procrastination Always Bad?

I hate to call procrastination bad. I know, some people swear by it. However, it is definitely not a helpful habit. Anything that puts blocks into your energy is NOT helpful.

What About Tips for Overcoming Procrastination?

There are lots of articles out there with tips for overcoming procrastination or why we procrastinate. I don’t know about you but those didn’t work too well for me. Knowing the why and having tips for overcoming it, just didn’t help me change significantly.

It’s still interesting to know some of the reasons we do it.

Why People Procrastinate

  • Fear of failure
  • Not knowing how to do something
  • It’s expensive
  • To avoid confrontation
  • Not enough interest/it seems boring
  • Your mind is blank (writing or creative endeavors)
  • You feel like you don’t know how to do it well enough
  • Intimidated by the person you need to talk to or work with or situation
  • Think you need to be motivated
  • Don’t want to be told what to do
  • Don’t care

The Secret Behind Procrastination

Here’s the great thing. You don’t have to diagnose your deep reasons for procrastinating. You already have the ability to deal with each and every one of these reasons. How do I know that?

Because procrastination doesn’t mean you don’t EVER do something. It just means you put it off as long as you possibly can.

Eventually you do it. So, I know you can and will do it!

However, you can remove the PAIN you have during the time you would normally be procrastinating.

When, I decided to explore this phenomenon in more depth, I thought it was going to be complicated. Yet, the solution to procrastination was fairly straightforward and easy.

How to Stop Procrastinating and Being Lazy

A relatively simple process has helped me end my procrastination.

Here is what DID work for me. It was to identify two aspects of my procrastination habits. Once I had my Procrastination Profile in front of me, I wasn’t at the mercy of my procrastination anymore!

Understanding How You Procrastinate

  1. What are the common things you do procrastinate about?
  2. What are your most common ways of procrastinating?

I identified a few things in the two following areas and I was able to get things done that I had been putting off for weeks! It feels amazing to NOT have things hanging over my head.

Step One: Identify What You Procrastinate About

We all procrastinate over certain things. The things I hate to do are any kind of phone calls about insurance, incorrect billing, or health related things. I will put any of those things off until I no longer can. I also resist having to do anything with car care until the last minute.

Here are some common things that people procrastinate about. This is not an all-inclusive list! This is to give you some ideas. Please adjust or add your own to this list.

  • Phone calls
  • Writing assignments
  • Studying
  • Writing thank-you notes
  • Making doctor appointments
  • Calling to correct billing or insurance issues
  • Checking on family
  • Updating your resume
  • Answering emails
  • Returning phone calls
  • Taking your car to the shop for maintenance
  • Taking your pet to the vet
  • Making a big decision
  • Arranging travel
  • Opening an IRA or other investment account
  • Doing your taxes
  • Paying bills
  • Cleaning a messy closet, refrigerator, drawer, or cabinet
  • Getting a haircut
  • Shopping for a new bra
  • Home repairs

The great thing about listing what you procrastinate about is that you will also see that there are a lot of things you DON’T procrastinate about. You are successfully getting plenty of things done.

So, all you need to do is isolate and identify what are the things you put off, until you have no choice but to do it. It’s not like you don’t ever get around to these things but you put it off until it is uncomfortable.

Remove this discomfort and life will move along much more enjoyably.

Step Two: Identify How You Procrastinate

Now it’s time to identify, how you procrastinate. We don’t all procrastinate in the same way and you by it’s incredibly helpful to recognize your own unique ways of putting things off.

The stereotype of someone procrastinating, is that person surfing the web, shopping, or watching TV. Yes, those are certainly ways to put off doing something that you need to do. But procrastination is much more insidious than that. Some of us find socially acceptable ways to procrastinate.

If you want to stop procrastinating, you have to identify how you specifically procrastinate. I was surprised by what I discovered about my own.

Mine is doing things with and for friends and family. You want to meet for coffee or lunch and talk? I will drop everything. You want me to babysit? Again, I will drop anything and everything.

If I’m really in procrastination mode, I’ll initiate phone calls and getting together. Running errands is a strong second. When I’m putting something off, I will have the strongest urge to go to the grocery store or Target.

What are your common ways to procrastinate? One interesting thing to note, is that some items can actually be on either list. For example, cleaning something could be the thing you are avoiding or it can be the way you avoid doing something else.

Common Ways to Procrastinate:

  • Shopping
  • Childcare
  • Playing computer games
  • Exercising
  • Calling a friend or family
  • Eating
  • Social media of choice
  • Running errands
  • Cleaning
  • Helping someone out
  • Taking a phone call
  • Cooking

How to Stop Procrastinating for Good

In writing this, as I discovered how I procrastinated and what I procrastinated about, suddenly it wasn’t unconscious behavior. And once it wasn’t unconscious, it wasn’t something that was just happening to me.

The week I discovered this, I noted that I had an insurance call to make and my car needed an oil change. And I was putting these things off by doing other things. It was almost funny how predictable I am. So, I just got my things done and that was it.

Something that had felt difficult, became a total non-issue by simply being aware of it.

It really helped me to identify and write down the things I often procrastinate about. I was surprised that it really was just a few things that I kept putting off over and over. Then I was even more surprised when I identified the ways I distracted myself in the meantime.

When I had them written down and in black and white in front of me, I couldn’t ignore them anymore. The great part was that once I had them written down, they didn’t seem so big and scary anymore.

To help you out, here’s a printable worksheet to help you identify your areas of procrastination and put it all together.

Beat Procrastination Worksheet

I love finding ways to help me through things that seem hard to do. Clearing mental clutter like procrastinating, creates more time to do the things that I enjoy.

I hope this helps you as much as it’s helped me!

Keep showing up my friends!

Here’s How to Get Things Done When You Don’t Feel Motivated

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11 Comments

  1. Britini Bratcher on January 14, 2017 at 4:55 pm

    I really enjoyed your article. I’ve got those areas in my life where I just always seem to drag my feet as long as possible. I think a lot of these tips will be very helpful!

    • Sara on January 18, 2017 at 10:53 am

      It was hugely helpful for me to discover I didn’t procrastinate about everything–just a few things. That is much more manageable for sure. Thanks for the feedback!

  2. Daria Harvey on November 16, 2016 at 8:15 am

    Fascinating post! I’m sort of the opposite of a procrastinator-except for phone calls! Why is it that I hate making phone calls-even when it’s for something exciting like home improvements! My PDOC is definitely cleaning. A lot of food for thought here. Ok, I’m off to make those calls!

    • Sara on November 23, 2016 at 9:40 am

      Hi Daria. Thanks for stopping by and sharing your experience. I hate phone calls so much I tried to PAY my best friend to make mine for me at one time. lol. Fortunately, she didn’t indulge me and I’ve gotten better over the years.

  3. Tonya on November 5, 2016 at 12:35 pm

    I will definitely try the worksheet. I find that I procrastinate, or as I like to refer to it (put things off) until the very last minute and it tends to create stress. I like the idea of writing them down and putting them in front of you, kind of hard to ignore the ‘elephant in the room’ at that point. LOL!

    • Sara on November 5, 2016 at 12:47 pm

      It is surprisingly helpful. When you see you don’t put all things off–just a few specific things, it really does help you make the effort to just get those things done. Let me know how it goes!

    • Sara on November 15, 2016 at 1:18 pm

      Hi Tonya–I hope it works for you too. I was so surprised that just identifying what I tend to put off and how I do that, really changed how I operated. I found out that by clearing those things (usually they weren’t even a big deal) I no longer felt like a procrastinator and I was getting more done, easily.

  4. Paula, The Geeky Shopaholic on November 5, 2016 at 10:40 am

    I always procrastinate when it come to making phone calls of any kind! I hate talking on the phone. And my PDOC is definitely social media! And I do put off hard conversations because I hate confrontation. I’m actually good at confrontation, but I don’t enjoy it at all. But you’re right when I make myself do these things right away, I feel so much better!

    • Sara on November 5, 2016 at 12:48 pm

      Making phone calls is definitely is one of mine. But when I isolated it as something I put off, I saw that it was a relatively little thing creating a lot of stress.

    • Sara on November 15, 2016 at 1:20 pm

      I hate confrontation AND I’m bad at it. Maybe there’s a blog post there for you to write! I also put phone calls off but I am getting so much better at that. About social media–it’m my job! I have to do it. lol Thanks for reading and commenting.

  5. celeste on November 5, 2016 at 9:37 am

    I think what you said about also getting things done during procrastination was enlightening.

    xoxo
    Celeste
    ohhelloceleste.com

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Hi, I'm Sara Garska and I'm so happy you're here! Big changes can happen with a shift in thinking. Over time, you transform your life into the one you always dreamed of having. As a certified life and weight loss coach, I can help you create a life you love. Click here to schedule a free 50-minute coaching session.