Overcoming Procrastination

How do you overcome procrastination? By working when you don’t feel like it.

How do you work when you don’t feel like it? Motivation.

How do you motivate yourself? That’s what we need to ask ourselves

I spent most of my life procrastinating after succumbing to the arguments in my head that fueled my feelings and emotions, and I’ve suffered in life because of it.

As a result, I decided I needed to do something to help me get from wanting to do something to feeling motivated enough to complete it whether I felt like it or not. That has been my mission ever since I walked away from 35 years of depression and decided it was time to live, succeed and be happy.

A New Day

Monday 2nd May 2022. It’s Bank Holiday Monday and I’m hard at it! IAs an entrepreneur who was prone to succumb to procrastination I used to give myself permission not to work on bank holidays, they were a great excuse not to do anything because it was a holiday.

Today is a Bank Holiday and the sun is shining. It’s the perfect excuse to avoid my to-do list and something I would have previously given into and am a little tempted.

I’m tired, but I have a whole day before me and despite the sofa looking appealing and Netflix and Call The Midwife, calling my name, I know what’s more important is doing rather than chilling. It’s not what I had planned for today.

The plan was to kill my to-do list so I could relax. That said, this has probably been the best bank holiday I’ve had in a very long time.

How To Motivate And Not Procrastinate

When I truly learned to understand the reason for doing what needs to be done and the impact not doing things had on me it empowered me enough to disagree with the thoughts in my head instead of accepting them.

The only way to kill procrastination is to do something.
Being proactive and understanding what season you’re in is vital to your rest, work and play because life is not all about doing. You need to know when to work and when to rest and play.

You also need to understand that each day is a gift, filled with hours that won’t come around again. When they’re gone, they’re gone

At the beginning of the year, I started working with a business coach. The first thing she did was got me to fill out a time block to see what I was doing with my time and how much real-time I had to devote to my business.

I learned two things from that exercise. First, I didn’t have as much time as I thought I had. Second, how precious time really is.

During my early morning devotion time, God began to open my eyes to how precious each day is and how much of a gift it is. From that point on, I started seeing things from a different perspective.

Seasons And Reasons

Make use of the gift of the new day we have been blessed with by understanding the season you are in.

Today I worked on my business plans more than I rested. Not my usual bank holiday spend, but making use of that spare time to get things done made me feel as if I’d rested because it created some much-needed mental space in my head.

Over the past five months, I’ve experienced a massive mindset shift, the fruit of some serious labour, disciplines and habits implemented in 2021. That and the constant teachings and promptings from what I believe to be the directing of God and support of the Holy Spirit.

Aside from being in a serious work and sowing season, I’m also in a season of learning the importance of the new day and the 24 hours it provides. Recently the Holy Spirit whispered a word to me that is seriously impacting my every move…
” Procrastination is wasting the gift of a new day, the time and resources God has already provided for us to succeed”

Since hearing these words I’ve found it almost impossible to say, “I’ll do it tomorrow”Instead I’m constantly looking to see what I can do today that will impact tomorrow for the right reasons as opposed to adding to its load.

Last year from September to December I decided I was going to work harder in one of my businesses, putting in extra hours when I could have been chilling or having fun because I wanted to increase revenue and make an additional £4,000 by the end of the year.

I was in a working season and reassured myself I would rest over the Christmas week. My decision fuelled my enthusiasm and motivated me when I wasn’t fired up. There was the reason I was up late, why I could only have Sundays off and why I was working extra hard, and that reason kept me focused.

My focus stirred me in the direction I wanted to go and I smashed my goal. When Christmas came, rested for the entire week and overdosed on all the Netflix to my hearts’ delight. I visited family and slept. I had fun. That was my resting season and I could enjoy it without any gut or feeling like I should have been doing something.

I had worked, I had reaped and now I was resting. I have to keep that at the forefront of my mind for the season I’m presently in. It’s a long sowing and working season, but that’s because the harvest is going to be bigger.

Let’s Get You Started

If you are someone that struggles with procrastination, here are 4 things that continue to help me.

1 – I started planning, so I understood the importance of what needed to be done and the impact it would have on my life if I didn’t do what I had to do.

2 – I started timing myself, so things didn’t drag on for longer than required. You’ll be surprised how focused you become when you’re up against the clock. Once I knew how long something needed to take, I was keen to get it done quickly and efficiently without being distracted. A trick to this is to put your mobile phone on Do Not Disturb. It kills the temptation of responding to notifications

3 – I learnt to celebrate and acknowledge my wins. Doing this encourages you to do more and helps keep you motivated and celebrated. When we celebrate our wins, we are reminding ourselves that we have done a good job. We are rewarding ourselves for the work we have done and we are encouraging ourselves to do and achieve more.

We have to celebrate our wins!

4 – Have a designated rest -no workday! Mine is Sundays. Whatever happens, I do no work on Sundays. This disciplines he’s me make more use of the gift of Saturday, which I often didn’t utilise to the fillest, but I’ll tell you more about that another time

If you start implementing these 4 points you will see a difference in your mood. This will impact and change your mindset and you will start to see progress in the areas you need to be winning in.

Identify what season you are in, and then create habits and disciplines that help keep you motivated fr that season. Be it rest, work or play the system works!

Resources

Books that helped me on my journey – The Bible. The Miracle Morning For Entrepuners by Hal Elrod. God’s Romantic Getaway by Jemma Regis. Good Vibes, Good Life by Vex King. Love Yourself First by Marc Reklau

I would love to hear your thought on this topic and how you get on. Please share this blog with a friend or group you feel would benefit from it.

Connect with me on social media – FB Jemma Regis – IG jemmaregis_inc