Welcome to the Stop Sabotaging Your Success Podcast, episode fifty-five. I’m your host, Cindy Esliger. This is the podcast focusing on what we can do today to take control of our careers and overcome the inevitable barriers to success that we encounter along the way. 

Procrastination is a challenge we have all faced at one point or another. We all struggle with deferring and avoiding doing the things that matter to us, but when we do that, we are acting against our better judgment. It’s really a lack of self-control because, while you might be doing something productive, you’re choosing not to do the thing you said you were going to do. 

In this episode, we’re going to get into procrastination, what it is, and how to overcome it, to help you get what you said you were going to do, done, and finally start trusting yourself. 

Procrastination is the act of delaying or postponing a task or set of tasks. It can sometimes feel like it’s a force beyond your control that prevents you from following through on what you set out to do. It’s what causes us to avoid the things we know we should be doing despite our best intentions. 

The first thing you need to do is identify why you procrastinate. So ask yourself, what is making this task so hard? It can be very difficult to stop procrastinating without changing the thought and feeling that is driving the very thing that you are doing, or not doing. 

It can be very illuminating to discover the thought and feeling combination that’s behind it. When we are able to change those, then changing the action becomes so much easier. To do that, we need to change our minds, to switch our thinking, so the feeling that comes from the thought, that is driving the action, is completely different, in order to get a different result. That’s really what coaching is all about, learning to manage your mind. 

A difficult or dreaded task is more likely to be postponed on the basis of any excuse that you can find. So dig deeper and find out why you are thinking it so hard, and then do something to make it easier for you to get it done. It’s all about making those rare moments of productivity more routine. 

You can either get things done or come up with excuses, but not both. 

If you are in the habit of procrastinating, you may have caught yourself saying:

• I’m not in the mood to do that
• I still have lots of time to get it done later
• I work best under pressure

There are many other excuses we commonly use to wiggle out of doing what we know we should be doing. 

So what kind of procrastinator are you? 

Are you a procrasti-organizer, those who organize their workspace or office before engaging in their work? Routinely keeping things clear and organized can be good because you’ll know where to find your tools and you have the space for doing effective work, but not at the expense of doing the work. 

Are you a procrasti-cleaner, those who clean the whole house or part of it before engaging in their work? I’m guilty of this one. When I have a project with a deadline that I don’t want to tackle, somehow it becomes crucial that I get to those cleaning projects I’ve also been avoiding and then my toilets or my fridge are magically cleaner than they’ve ever been. 

Are you a procrasti-doer, those who do pretty much anything but what they’re supposed to be doing? Some forms of procrastination can be productive and can give you relief, and it feels good because you’re actually getting other things done. But the fact is, working is one of the most dangerous forms of procrastination because you’re being productive in one way, but is it really helpful if it’s taking you away from something that’s a higher priority? It’s fine if you have time to do both, but sometimes it starts getting in the way. While it may be productive, it’s still not doing what you said you’d do.

Are you a procrasti-waiter, those who wait for permission or an invitation to get something going? This shows up as putting off doing something because you’re waiting for someone else to encourage you, guide you, or give you the go ahead. You might hear yourself saying that you’re going to start this once you get a mentor, or you can’t start until you have someone to champion your ideas, or you need to wait for someone to give you permission, or provide that invitation. But the fact is, they may not do that because they may not know that you’re waiting for that, or they may not see it as their role. So it’s a form of procrastinating because you’re not recognizing that you just need to get this started under your own power. 

Or maybe you’re a procrasti-claimer, those who claim that it’s just not the right time to begin. You can’t get started until you have the perfect conditions to start, claiming that certain rules apply like you can’t start it on a random Tuesday, or you can’t begin mid-month. This requires awareness to see that you are simply putting it off and making excuses, then it’s easier to counteract and go in a different direction. 

No one can tell you what to do. It’s not their place. People can remind you of what you do well and that it’s unlikely that you will fail, at least not in the long term, but to be able to do the things you want to do, you must be able to look inside and believe. Once you get started, you will get the results that will prove that you have this capacity. 

Skills matter, but they aren’t what’s needed to get started doing the work because you can learn as you go. And all the skills in the world won’t make up for not having a belief in yourself and your abilities.

Why are you waiting? What are you waiting for? Are you waiting for permission or are you waiting for an invitation? 

Just start doing it. Just go. There’s no secret handshake. And for most things, there’s no real gatekeepers. Feel the fear and do it anyway. Don’t wait for anyone’s permission because it’s always easier to ask for forgiveness later anyway.

There are so many reasons that keep us from doing the things we want to be doing. Some of these might sound familiar: 

• I don’t know enough or have the necessary skills
• I don’t have the time needed to get this done
• What I need to do is too big, too hard, or too scary
• I’m unable to focus because I feel overwhelmed, confused, or distracted

Beware of procrastination disguised as research and planning because it’s often an easy way to keep you from doing what you should be doing where you can spend weeks, months, or even years preparing without making any real tangible progress. 

We make time for the things that are important. So I ask you, how badly do you want this? If you’re intimidated by the magnitude or importance of what you want to do, why don’t you try starting smaller or taking it slower? Don’t use overwhelm or confusion as a reason to stay stuck. 

Look around. Your environment may also be distracting you from getting your tasks completed. Making consistent progress with much smaller tasks and celebrating those small wins will eventually lead to achieving that bigger goal. Shift your mindset from making excuses to getting things done.

There are many useful strategies to make it easier to take action that might work for you. Here are a few that you can employ today to stop procrastinating: 

1. Determine your next step
2. Make it a priority
3. Make the task easier (by making it smaller and more achievable)
4. Redesign your environment

So back to number one, determine your next step. You can stop procrastinating by deciding your next action ahead of time and being committed to doing it. Figure out what it is you need to do next. Give yourself a clear research objective, one that you’re excited about, then set a timer for a fixed window of time to find it. Get the information you need and take immediate action on it.

Research, especially online, can be particularly dicey. It’s easy to get sucked into multi-hour, multi-day research rabbit holes. I might be speaking from experience here. You don’t need to know everything about your project. You don’t need to map out every step in advance. So, stop hiding behind the books, podcasts, and courses. Develop a bias for action. You will learn more and make faster progress.

If you must do some research, do your best to stay on task. The internet is a minefield of distractions, so don’t rely on willpower to stay focused. Your objective is to get enough information to take your next best step, nothing more. 

Number two, make it a priority. Shift the focus from looking at having to do an entire project, to focusing on one task at a time to help you build momentum and kick procrastination to the curb. Break it down into small enough tasks that can be done in small focused chunks of time over a period of days, weeks, or months. Slow and steady progress is still progress. Many tasks appear more achievable when you break them down. 

Consider pairing the things that you need to do, by doing an activity that you don’t particularly like, while doing something that you really enjoy and one you look forward to. Set some limits for yourself where you only do the thing you love while you are doing the thing you tend to procrastinate on. What you like to do helps to take away some of the unpleasantness of the activity that you keep postponing. You are less likely to put off a task you need to do since it will be paired with something that already has a dedicated time in your schedule within which you do it, when you’re already doing something you enjoy or has already become a habit and is part of your routine.

Number three, make the task easier by making it smaller and more achievable. Set a completion date. Schedule blocks of time to work on this project. Consider using your peak times to do the most difficult or most dreaded tasks. Set a timer to get started and tell yourself you only have to do it for 10 minutes. The hardest part is getting started, so when the timer goes off, you may find that you want to keep going. 

The friction that causes procrastination is usually centered around starting a behavior. So by making it smaller and easier to start, you will be less likely to procrastinate. Once you begin, it’s often less painful just to keep working. And by making it as easy as possible to get started, you will get some quick wins that will create the momentum you need to carry you further into the task. And remember, it’s important to celebrate your wins, no matter how small. 

And finally, number four, redesign your environment. Distractions may be keeping you from getting your tasks completed. Put your phone on silent mode and leave it in another room. Consider blocking social media on your computer to keep distractions at bay. 

Nothing gives you more momentum and motivation to keep going than when you tick off one completed task after another. Focus all your attention on chipping away at that one thing. Small measures of progress help to maintain momentum over the long run, which means you’re more likely to finish those larger tasks. And the faster you complete a task, no matter how small, the more quickly you are able to feel successful, which helps you develop an attitude of productivity and effectiveness. The speed with which you complete your first task of the day can be particularly important for overcoming procrastination and maintaining a highly productive output, day after day. 

It might seem counterintuitive, but you must find the courage to act in order to create motivation, not the other way around. Instead of waiting for inspiration to strike, taking action gets you going and keeps you moving forward. Building momentum is the secret elixir. 

The only way you get the momentum is to disobey that voice in your head that says you’re not ready yet. Adopt that ‘start before you’re ready’ strategy. Stop overthinking and start doing. Take action, any action, no matter how small. When what you want to do is broken down, your next steps seem to become obvious. 

Procrastination is very common these days, and there are several remedial steps that you can take, but they may vary depending on the underlying cause that you isolate. For example, someone who procrastinates because a task looks too big for them to accomplish, may need a different solution when compared to another who procrastinates because they are distracted. Breaking a task into smaller segments can help when the task feels too big, too hard, or too scary, but breaking it down into more manageable steps may not be enough to produce any results for the person who is distracted, unless they redesign their environment. 

How can you make this task easier and more achievable for you? 

Resistance is just resistance. If you make a conscious decision not to pursue your idea, that’s one thing, but don’t internalize someone else’s reluctance to move forward as a reason to procrastinate on what it is you want to do. Sometimes, you’re able to see things that other people around you are not able to see, either because of the way your mind works, or because of your personal interests, or because of your experience, or simply the things you’ve been exposed to.

When you have an innovative idea that your colleagues may not quite be ready to embrace, there’s a balance between not getting too far ahead of them so that you have no help, and pandering to their resistance, which may come regardless. If you allow yourself to be dissuaded without actually believing that what you’re trying to do is indeed impossible, then you may end up feeling like a victim and feeling resentful. Develop a habit of listening to other people and taking their concerns and questions seriously, but without over internalizing their resistance to your ideas. 

How much do you want it? What are you willing to sacrifice to get it? Do you believe that, if you put in the effort, it can happen? 

Many of us don’t, and it’s pretty hard to be in the right mindset to do it when you don’t believe it’s possible for you. Maybe it’s because you don’t have the experience or because you’ve never tried it before. 

I want you to try a new perspective. Adopt the identity of a person who does what it is you want to do, but aren’t yet doing. Take baby steps. Make small changes. It’s not about making big moves or falling victim to the ‘go big or go home’ mentality.Is there something that you can do to change things up in a small way? 

It’s time for you to think for yourself. Put yourself into your work and create something that you’re drawn to. There’s pain in knowing that you aren’t doing what you said you wanted to be doing, and pain is an amazing teacher. But we need to understand it to use it properly.

Adopt a new perspective that allows you to grow bigger, better, and stronger because of that pain you’re feeling. You have a choice. You have to conquer that fear that things won’t turn out the way you envision them. You have to give it a shot to heal that pain because the real reason we want to do things is to feel good. If you don’t, every year you’ll get more fearful. Your world will get smaller. It won’t expand or get richer in the way you want it to. 

Go do it. Get past the fear. You will feel awesome, but only if you do it. Recognize that you’re not happy and figure out what you can do about it. 

We project our fear onto other people. We tend to be afraid of what they will say and what they will think. You must follow your curiosity and be willing to make a change. It takes practice to start listening to yourself. Maybe all the things you say you want to do will thread together in some way, but most of the time there’s only a through line to your career in hindsight.

Some people say that it’s important to build an immediate consequence for your procrastination, to get some skin in the game, by creating a consequence that happens if you don’t do the behavior right now. They suggest finding a way to put your time, money, or ego on the line by creating a painful, real world consequence if you don’t get started or keep moving. Some decide to make a financial commitment because they won’t want to waste that cash, or that by not showing up means they’ll feel guilt, shame, or embarrassment, and they use that to further motivate themselves to keep going. 

But I warn you that might not work for you. We tend to want to do things that will make us feel good, not out of a sense of foreboding. And avoiding feeling bad is not quite the same as feeling good. 

Accountability can also help you power through procrastination. Find an accountability partner so that you have the support of a cheerleader who is also pushing themselves out of their comfort zone. 

You may find that you’re finally able to get what you’ve always wanted just by putting in the effort and giving yourself a chance. Or you may be absolutely right, by doing what you want to do, you may indeed not achieve anything. But what have you really lost? You didn’t have it when you started. The point is you don’t know. 

What you do know is that what you’re doing now, by procrastinating, is undermining your self-esteem and draining the joy from your life. Your only hope for something to happen is if you act differently. 

So ask yourself, is making this change worth it to you?

You won’t be able to know ahead of time how it’s going to turn out. So ask yourself these questions: 

• What risks am I really taking? 
• What do I have to gain by doing it? 
• Is there really anything to lose if my worst-case scenario actually happens? 

Only you can answer these questions about what’s at stake here for you. Are you willing to take that chance? You don’t know what will come next. You may be exaggerating how much you have to lose and not be giving enough consideration to what you have to gain. 

Take a chance by doing what you’ve been putting off. Put it to the test. It’s about being uncomfortable because that’s where you need to be in order to do the things that matter. Put yourself in a position where you are challenged.

That’s where the fear happens, and that’s also where the magic happens. That’s where it all happens. 

And that’s it for this episode of Stop Sabotaging Your Success. Remember to download your Guide to Help You Stop Procrastinating at cindyesliger.com/podcast, episode fifty-five.

Thank you to our producer, Alex Hochhausen and everyone at Astronomic Audio. Get in touch, I’m on Instagram @cindyesliger and my email address is info@ cindyesliger.com. And if you liked this how, please tell a friend. Subscribe, rate, and review.

Until next week, I’m Cindy Esliger. Thanks for joining me.