How To Overcome Procrastination

🗣️ Quote of the Week:

“Once you make a decision, the universe conspires to make it happen.” — Ralph Waldo Emerson

In this week’s dose, I share the most important skill for getting what we want out of life.

Have you ever wondered why you know what to do but still don’t do it?

Why you procrastinate, avoid difficult conversations, or delay taking action on your goals?

The answer lies in decision-making.

When we avoid making decisions, we stay stuck in our comfort zones, reinforcing a habit of inaction. Every time we choose not to act, we build a wall between ourselves and progress. It’s like training our minds to sit still when they should be moving forward.

One of my favorite analogies is that still water is a breeding ground for disease while flowing water keeps it clean & clear.

Similarly, making decisions propels us forward, keeping our lives clear and dynamic.

What gets in the way?

The decision to get out of bed at 5 am to hit the gym or to have a hard conversation instead of keeping your thoughts buried can be daunting.

These are uncomfortable feelings, and our inability to work through them keeps us stuck.

But there’s good news: working through discomfort is a skill we can train ourselves to get better at.

Cultivating the Skill

To think we’ll never feel stress, agitation, or doubt is to deny being human. Instead, we have to build the skills to work through them.

We must cultivate our ability to become aware of, acknowledge, and embrace all of our feelings so we can take action despite them. It’s like any other habit; it requires practice and intention.

Take a deep breath.

Acknowledge your uncomfortable feelings (don’t try to deny or bury them).

Note that it’s just a feeling you’re experiencing, it’s not the real YOU.

Remind yourself of what you want MOST (not what your survival mind wants right now).

Act in alignment with your best self.

A quote that has been on my mind lately is, “If you want things in your life to change, YOU have to change first.”

Whether it's getting in shape, earning a promotion, or starting a business, you must be intentional with your decisions. Otherwise, your survival mind will make decisions for you, keeping you on autopilot.

Mindset

The biggest decision we make is how we view things.

Our perspective creates our beliefs, which generate our thoughts, feelings, and ultimately, our actions. And of course, our actions create our results.

But it all starts with how we view everything around us.

So you can start to see that change is simple, but our mindset complicates it.

“Change the way you look at things, and the things you look at will change.” W. Dyer

Every moment, we get to decide what we see. That’s truly the only thing we have control over.

The key is recognizing that everything we do is a decision. Our lack of decision-making IS a decision.

How we respond to difficult circumstances, our belief in ourselves, and our actions are all decisions.

Tip for short-term decision-making:

When Mel Robbins was drinking too much, having a hard time getting out of bed, and unmotivated, she struggled to do the things she wanted to do - like get up early and work out.

So she went “NASA” on herself.

When she woke up, she’d count down 54321 and, by the time she got to 1, she’d get out of bed.

It’s simple and a little weird, but there’s psychology behind it. Countdowns are used in places like the military and schools to get people in line, to quiet down, and more. When we heard a countdown, there’s a part of us that activates to get us to make a decision.

Tip for long-term decision-making:

When you know your "why," decisions become easier.

Here's how to start:

Identify Your Core Values. 

Understand what truly matters to you. This takes time, trial, error, and adjustment. But if you give it proper care and attention, your decisions will start to naturally align with these values.

Define Your Goals. 

Be specific about what YOU want (not what other people want for you). Clear goals provide a roadmap for decision-making.

Visualize. 

Picture the outcomes of your decisions vividly and regularly. Picture yourself taking the action required to make it happen. FEEL what it feels like to be the person who makes decisions with ease & clarity. This is visualization 101.

These simplify it.

Because now, you are either making decisions that are IN alignment or OUT of alignment with who you want to become.