Taking on new projects, stepping outside our comfort zone creates an opportunity for procrastination to sneak in without us even realizing it. How can you kick procrastination for good?

As I’m finalizing my upcoming book, Step, Step, Pick: How to Use the Power of Momentum to Tackle Tasks, Finish Projects & Fulfill Your Dreams, I’ve been heavy in editing mode. I was moving forward quite nicely and when I got to the procrastination chapter, guess what happened…

I needed a break!

After hours of working on my book, I needed to stop and do something else. I found it ironic that this hit when I got to the chapter on procrastination. Before I stopped, I asked an important question.

Why do I want a break now?

#1 Key Awareness

When we are aware of our procrastination triggers and habits, then we can recognize when it’s happening and counter it. Sometimes we are doing something that moves us towards our big goal, so we do not realize it’s procrastination. When you’re doing something to avoid something else, that is procrastination at work.

Why did I want a break? Because I’d been working for hours and I needed to get a fresh perspective on the chapter. I took a break and stepped away for about 45 minutes and made a yummy batch of cookies.

#2 Key Get Back to It

After my short break, if I let procrastination take hold, I would have kept doing other things. I left my book document open so when I came back to my computer, that is what I saw. I sat back down and began editing the chapter.

#3 Key Know Your Why

To explore the why behind your procrastination, let’s explore some ideas.

  • What are you avoiding that is causing you to procrastinate?
  • What is your fear about this thing you’re avoiding?

Now that you know what you’re afraid of and why, let’s take that why and ask:

Why do you want to do this thing you’re avoiding with procrastination?

Once you figure out what you’re procrastinating about, what your fear is, why you’re afraid of doing it, the other part of it is identifying why you need to do it. When you know why you need to express yourself in this way, why you feel compelled to share this with the world (whether that world is your friends and family or on a global stage), this is what makes the difference in kicking procrastination for good. When you connect with that internal reason why and you feel that procrastination coming in and it’s really tempting to go and do laundry or do anything but the thing you need to do, remembering WHY will change everything.

Part of recognizing why you reflect on why you’re doing it is reminding yourself it’s for you. Yes, you want to help people and teach people, you want to solve a big problem for people but you’re doing it for yourself.

#4 Key Accepting Your Why

Enjoy it and embrace that, accept your why. When you feel that, when you know in your heart, yes you are helping people, but you are also helping yourself, it is so powerful. It can really move you forward. It can help you get past that procrastination that keeps showing up and tearing you down. Push it aside and move forward. Create what you want to create.

If you have an idea in your head that you want to do something, if it’s something that you really believe you can do in your heart when you’re not listening to any self-limiting beliefs and you’re not listening that says you’re not good enough, push those aside. When you know in your heart that you can do it, then you can do it! Go forward and make it happen. You can do it!

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