Key to Being…

Speech is conveniently located midway between thought and action, where it often substitutes for both.
~John Andrew Holmes

Procrastination, like so many things, is a habit.  A habit most people seemingly love to or can’t help indulging in.  Hm… reminds me of chocolate… But this is great news! It’s not hard to break a habit.

Procrastination actually causes more discomfort than doing the actual task.  While procrastinating, we anticipate an unpleasant/boring/difficult task, and the mind has already created and is living through a difficult situation.  It’s non-productive to virtually torture yourself this way, as doing the actual task will cause less pain.

Nothing is so fatiguing as the eternal hanging on of an uncompleted task.
~William James

1. Change your perspective. Be aware that you create the reality you see.  Ask how you can change your reality and the way you look at things. The past is in the past and it’s over.  Only you, at this moment, determine the present.  Don’t dwell on mistakes made and wipe all negative thoughts out.  What you think about creates your present.  How do you wish your present to be?
2. Make it fun! Open the window (unless you’re stuck in a cubicle forest), play music, make some tea, indulge in some dark chocolate, etc.  Whatever floats your boat (just don’t sink the boat with doughnuts).  And remind yourself the freedom you’ll feel once it’s done!
3. Who’s perfect? Well, computers are near-perfect performing calculations.  But who wants to be a computer anyway.  Any step towards completion is good progress.  You’re a perfectionist?  Remember that what you regard as 70% perfect is probably 100% perfect to others. 
4. Break it apart. If it’s a big monster of a task don’t tackle it all at once.  Break it apart into small tasks, and complete one at a time.  Depending on the size, schedule breaks for a walk, to have some chocolate, or simply change the surroundings.  Understand multi-tasking makes you unproductive.
5. List pros and cons. For a big decision, such as moving or switching careers, list pros and cons of making the decision.  Go into detail on how you’ll feel if you make the decision in a week, month and year.  Also, list all the things you will miss out on if you don’t make the decision. 
6. Energize the system! Feeling tired, uninspired and unmotivated?  Go for a walk, schedule a daily workout, eat something fresh (doughnuts no, garden foods yes), maintain a regular sleep pattern, eat some chocolate (with 70% cocoa content), and keep a positive outlook.  Once you start a task, it’s never as unpleasant as it first looked.  The anticipation is the most unpleasant.  And the anticipation happens to be in your mind.  Who has control over your mind?  Yes, you do.  Take advantage of that!
7. Clean and organize. A cluttered desk leads to a cluttered mind and stalls motivation.  Clear off anything unnecessary, organize drawers and cabinets and dust shelves.  Clear away distractions such as magazines, books, snacks, etc.  If you haven’t used something for a long time, donate or throw it away.
8. Do not disturb. At work set your instant messenger to “Do Not Disturb”, tell colleagues you need “alone” time for some hours, ignore the phone and resist the intense urge to check email every 20 seconds.  At home, do the same and in addition throw the TV remote out the window (trash would be a good place too)
9. To-do list. Lists can be a rescuing angel or set dread into the bravest.  Learn how to create efficient and simple to-do lists.  For a big project you can have several lists.  For smaller tasks, put them on a general list, and notice how good it feels to mark stuff off.
10. Start small. If you are truly struggling to get started, begin by doing something small.  Wash the dishes, brush the cat, rake the leaves.  That will give you momentum to continue acting so you can flow into the task you need to complete
11. Chat with a good friend. This helps to relax and can allow you to focus and put matters into perspective
12. Thank yourself. You did well!  So thank yourself for sticking with it, thank anyone that helped you and reward yourself by doing something enjoyable or decadent.  (think chocolate…:)

Give yourself 30 days to change the procrastination habit using the tips above.  It isn’t much time, and that’s all it takes to start creating a new habit.  Why procrastinate since the actual act of procrastination causes more pain than doing the task?  The mind creates the pain when anticipating.  And guess who controls your mind? That’s right