{"id":36492,"date":"2015-11-04T21:26:24","date_gmt":"2015-11-05T05:26:24","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.pickthebrain.com\/?p=36492"},"modified":"2015-11-08T19:37:54","modified_gmt":"2015-11-09T03:37:54","slug":"stop-procrastinating-brief-guide","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.pickthebrain.com\/blog\/stop-procrastinating-brief-guide\/","title":{"rendered":"How To Stop Procrastinating (A Brief Guide)"},"content":{"rendered":"<div style=\"margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px;\" class=\"sharethis-inline-share-buttons\" ><\/div><p>Today we&#8217;re going to tackle the age-old problem of procrastination. In this article, you\u2019ll discover:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Why smart people procrastinate the most (and what to do about it)<\/li>\n<li>The single biggest reason why most people procrastinate (It\u2019ll surprise you)<\/li>\n<li>3 simple steps you can begin implementing immediately\u2014like, right now\u2014to STOP procrastinating and START crushing it, day-in and day-out<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Ready? Pick your preferred method of following along\u2014<a href=\"http:\/\/www.meaningfulhq.com\/how-to-stop-procrastinating.html\" target=\"_blank\">listen<\/a>, read, or do both\u2014and we\u2019ll go ahead and dive right in\u2026<\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<h4><em>Prefer audio? <a href=\"https:\/\/itunes.apple.com\/us\/podcast\/how-to-stop-procrastinating\/id904829767?i=354564359&amp;mt=2\" target=\"_blank\">Click here to listen on iTunes<\/a><\/em><\/h4>\n<hr \/>\n<h4>QUESTION: What do you usually do to make yourself <em>feel<\/em> good about yourself on a daily basis?<\/h4>\n<p>Some people make themselves feel good by setting big goals, creating a game-plan of priorities to help achieve their goals, and then executing around those priorities on a day-to-day basis.<\/p>\n<p>And then there\u2019s that other group of people\u2014the super-intellgient, super-smart, BIG thinkers that want to achieve the biggest dreams they can possibly envision\u2026 but somehow end up becoming ultra-stressed rather than ultra-successful.<\/p>\n<p>How does this happen?<\/p>\n<p>They\u2019ve got ideas on top of ideas. They\u2019ve got dreams of doing BIG things. They\u2019ve even got the confidence and intelligence to help them make their dreams a reality\u2026 But for some reason, when it\u2019s time to get down to business and do the work, they find themselves procrastinating on the stuff they KNOW they need to take action on.<\/p>\n<p>So, what do they do to fix this procrastination problem?<\/p>\n<p>Well, some of them try to numb it with booze. They try to forget about all the things they\u2019ve been procrastinating on doing by having a drink or two (or ten). No harm in having a few drinks every now and then, but when one or two, turns into ten or more, then there\u2019s something they\u2019re trying to push down and forget about\u2026<\/p>\n<p>We all know that alcohol is a depressant, but have you ever thought about why some people call it \u201cliquid courage\u201d?<\/p>\n<p>Here\u2019s what happens when people get a little booze in their system: first, there\u2019s an initial surge of energy\u2014the \u201cliquid courage\u201d\u2014which allows them to forget about their problems and talk\/behave in ways they normally wouldn\u2019t\u2026. But shortly thereafter, the energy drops dramatically. That\u2019s why we call it a depressant.<\/p>\n<p>But where does that initial spike of energy (or \u201ccourage\u201d) come from?\u2014Here\u2019s where it gets interesting\u2026 Alcohol is actually depressing something\u2014it\u2019s shutting down the negative <a href=\"http:\/\/www.meaningfulhq.com\/self-talk.html\" target=\"_blank\">self-talk<\/a> and the uncomfortable visions that are going on in your head.[1] When this happens\u2013when the negative voice is your head shuts up\u2014even for just for a little while\u2014your energy skyrockets.<\/p>\n<p>It\u2019s almost a no-brainer when you think about it, right? Of course our energy will increase if we stop thinking about all the stuff we\u2019ve been procrastinating on, and if we stop feeding our minds overwhelming images of not handling something successfully at work earlier in the day.<\/p>\n<p>But here\u2019s the big problem with numbing our negative thoughts with alcohol or anything else: the numbing is temporary.<\/p>\n<p>The problems don\u2019t disappear. The stuff we need to do doesn\u2019t go away. And when we wake up the next morning, we still end up procrastinating on what\u2019s most important. Except this time, we do it with a hangover!<\/p>\n<p>And by the way, numbing the pain\/anxiety\/nerves can\u2019t be done selectively either\u2014when we numb ourselves long enough and often enough, it can get ugly\u2026 We risk numbing our source inspiration, purpose, and enthusiasm. That\u2019s not going it help us stop procrastinating. It\u2019ll just make us resort to procrastinating even more than before.<\/p>\n<p>(Side note, I\u2019m not saying drinking booze is bad. But obviously, anything in excess isn\u2019t going to get you where you want to be in terms of optimizing your <a href=\"http:\/\/www.meaningfulhq.com\/daily-health-tips.html\" target=\"_blank\">health<\/a> and wellness.)<\/p>\n<h2>Why Smart People Procrastinate<\/h2>\n<p>QUESTION:<\/p>\n<blockquote><p><strong>Why do the smartest people tend to be the ones that procrastinate the most?<\/strong><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p>You consider yourself smart, right?<\/p>\n<p>Of course.<\/p>\n<p>(I like to think of myself as a pretty smart fella, too, if I don\u2019t say so myself!)<\/p>\n<p>In fact, often times, it\u2019s the smartest, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.pickthebrain.com\/5-creativity-books-everyone-needs-read\/\">most creative<\/a> and capable people that end up <a href=\"https:\/\/www.pickthebrain.com\/3-unconventional-methods-overcome-procrastination\/\">procrastinating the most<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>Naturally then, that leaves us wondering: if we\u2019re so smart, then why the heck do we allow ourselves to keep procrastinating on important stuff?<\/p>\n<p>Answer: Our bodies respond quite viscerally to the images we produce in our heads. In fact, your nervous system can\u2019t differentiate between what you vividly imagine and what you actually experience in reality.<\/p>\n<p>Don\u2019t believe me? Let me prove it to you right now\u2026<\/p>\n<blockquote><p>Prefer audio? <a href=\"https:\/\/itunes.apple.com\/us\/podcast\/how-to-stop-procrastinating\/id904829767?i=354564359&amp;mt=2\" target=\"_blank\">Click here to listen on iTunes<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<h2>YOUR BODY RESPONDS TO THE IMAGES YOU FEED IT.<\/h2>\n<p>Play along with me here, and imagine for just a second that you\u2019re driving to the grocery store\u2013the same one you usually go to\u2026<\/p>\n<p>You pull into the parking lot. You park your car. And you\u2019ve got your grocery list ready to go.<\/p>\n<p>As you walk into the grocery store, the first section you decide to head towards is the brightly lit fruits + veggies section \u2026 You immediately notice the big, giant citrus bins filled with oranges and grapefruits and lemons\u2026<\/p>\n<p>Turn your attention to the pile of big, fat yellow lemons.<\/p>\n<p>For some odd reason, there\u2019s a cutting board and a knife right next to that bin filled with lemons\u2026 Go ahead and grab the biggest, brightest, yellowest lemon you can find from the pile and put it on the cutting board\u2026<\/p>\n<p>Now take the knife and slice through the lemon. Notice the lemon juice trickling down the sides of the lemon, and dripping down onto the cutting board as the knife slices through the yellow zest of the lemon. Go ahead and cut the lemon right in half. Pause for a second and notice that citrusy-lemony smell in the air\u2026<\/p>\n<p>Now take one of the two halves of the lemon you just sliced, and slice <em>that<\/em> one in half too \u2026 Now you\u2019ve got a quarter of a lemon \u2026 Now, grab the quarter-lemon off the cutting board, pop it in your mouth, and chomp down into it! (zesty!)<\/p>\n<p>\u2026 If you played along, you probably noticed that the saliva content in your mouth actually increased a little bit.<\/p>\n<p>Know how this happened?<\/p>\n<p><em>Your body literally produced citric acid as a result of you vividly imaging<\/em> yourself in the grocery store in front of those lemons.<\/p>\n<p>In other words: it was all in your head.<\/p>\n<p>Let\u2019s think about this idea for a moment\u2014if our bodies respond to the images we feed it, how can we expect to feel when we think about, say, doing our taxes?<\/p>\n<p>When you think about how you <a href=\"http:\/\/www.meaningfulhq.com\/i-get-to.html\" target=\"_blank\">have to do<\/a> your taxes, do you tend to start visualizing positive images of success and completion? How about images of yourself taking action?<\/p>\n<p>Probably not.<\/p>\n<p>Now let\u2019s think about this for a moment\u2026 Wouldn\u2019t it make sense that the people who are the most creative and capable\u2013those that can envision potential negative outcomes and consequences \u2014are the ones that are more likely to procrastinate on something like, say, filing their tax returns? \u2026 Of course; but why? Because these are the folks that are sensitive enough to produce a vivid visualization of the worst-case scenarios and negative outcomes that could come about as result of doing their taxes\u2026<\/p>\n<blockquote><p>What if it\u2019s not done properly?<\/p>\n<p>It\u2019s going to take forever to collect all the receipts I need to prove some of the stuff I\u2019m writing off.<\/p>\n<p>What if I claim more than I should and get caught?<\/p>\n<p>The forms look totally different this year.<\/p>\n<p>Should I get a new accountant?<\/p>\n<p>What if they screw it up and I get audited?<\/p>\n<p>Oh no, tax fraud! Oh God, what if I\u2019m jailed?<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p>And on\u2026 and on\u2026 and on. Ad nauseam.<\/p>\n<blockquote><p>Prefer audio? <a href=\"https:\/\/itunes.apple.com\/us\/podcast\/how-to-stop-procrastinating\/id904829767?i=354564359&amp;mt=2\" target=\"_blank\">Click here to listen on iTunes<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<h3>Bottom line? Procrastination is a FEELING.<\/h3>\n<p>In fact, often times, it\u2019s the doe-doe-bird who just does whatever is in front of him without considering the positive\/negative consequences of doing so. No priority. No long-term thought behind his action. He just plods forward like the dumb-dumb he is.<\/p>\n<p>Smart people though \u2014 (like us!) \u2014 sometimes place themselves in a psychological jail-cell. And that\u2019s what can so often cause us to procrastinate.<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>For instance, just a quick glance at your tax forms (or whatever other daunting task) can send your sensitive\u2014but intelligent\u2014brain on a mental tangent of negative thought-patterns that go so deep they paralyze you from taking the first step.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Something to keep in mind: Nothing grows in ice. Far too often, folks allow their negative thoughts to FREEZE them from taking action and achieving success. To melt the ice, we need to decide to take action.<\/p>\n<p>So how do we fix this procrastination problem?<\/p>\n<h3>The secret\u2014stop procrastinating by intelligently \u201cdumbing down\u201d your brain.<\/h3>\n<p>In his book, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.getflashnotes.com\/portfolio\/getting_things_done\/\" target=\"_blank\">Getting Things Done<\/a>, David Allen discusses the power of \u201cintelligent dumbing down\u201d your brain by figuring out the NEXT ACTION.<\/p>\n<p>It\u2019s one of the most powerful ideas in the book\u2014just figure out the <em>next action<\/em> \u2026 and then DO IT.<\/p>\n<p>Now, it\u2019s no secret that procrastination causes lots of stress and pressure\u2026 but the way in which we <em>relieve<\/em> this pressure is where the secret comes in.<\/p>\n<p>Here\u2019s what you need to know if you want to learn how to stop procrastinating for good\u2013you need to harness the power of <a href=\"http:\/\/www.meaningfulhq.com\/decide-to-cut-off.html\" target=\"_blank\">DECISION<\/a>.<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Actionable insight: If you want to stop procrastinating, you need to figure out the very <em>next physical action<\/em> you need to take to move something forward; be it a task, a project, a phone call, or whatever else.<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>You should also know that\u2026<\/p>\n<h3>To stop procrastinating, the only thing you need to change is what you FOCUS on.<\/h3>\n<p>Want to learn how to stop procrastinating? Learn how to shift your focus.<\/p>\n<p>Shifting your focus to something your mind perceives as do-able makes the difference that <em>makes<\/em> a difference.<\/p>\n<p>Let me explain:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Think about something you\u2019ve been procrastinating on; like, finishing a presentation for work. Now FOCUS on how it makes you FEEL whenever you think about how you have to do that presentation.<\/li>\n<li>Now shift your FOCUS to <a href=\"http:\/\/meaningfulhq.com\/the-80-20-principle.html\" target=\"_blank\">ONE SIMPLE thing you can do right now<\/a> to move this presentation even the tiniest bit closer to \u2018done.\u2019 Maybe you need to google some images to include in the presentation. That\u2019s do-able, right? Make that you\u2019re NEXT ACTION. Do it.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>The rationale behind this Next Action method is simple: when you do something your mind perceives as do-able, your energy will go up, your sense of direction and drive will increase dramatically; and you\u2019ll be able to motivate yourself to get whatever you need to get done\u2014DONE!<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Actionable insight: Anytime you feel the procrastination creeping back up again, you should take it as a trigger to CHUNK down whatever you feel like procrastinating on into something simple and do-able\u2026 Even if it\u2019s something as small as opening KeyNote and naming your presentation\u2026<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>One small step leads to another\u2026 and another\u2026 and another\u2026 until, all of a sudden, \u201cBIG MO\u201d kicks in.<\/p>\n<h3>Do you know who \u201cBIG MO\u201d is? (Hint: The \u201cMO\u201d in \u201cBIG MO\u201d stands for Momentum\u2026)<\/h3>\n<blockquote><p><a href=\"http:\/\/ctt.ec\/_da4s\" target=\"_blank\">\u201cMomentum is like an ocean wave, it builds up slowly. But give it enough time and it turns into a force of nature.\u201d<\/a><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/ctt.ec\/_da4s\" target=\"_blank\">\u2014Click-to-tweet<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p>BIG MO = BIG MOMENTUM. And once you\u2019ve got him on your side, you can move mountains.<\/p>\n<p>Oh, and by the way: BIG MO (momentum) does <em>not<\/em> pick sides; <em>you<\/em> do \u2026 He\u2019ll just follow you wherever you go. He\u2019ll focus on whatever you focus on\u2026<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>If you focus on <em>procrastinating<\/em>, momentum rolls in <em>that<\/em> direction.<\/li>\n<li>If you focus on taking <em>action<\/em>, momentum rolls in <em>that<\/em> direction.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Momentum is like an ocean wave\u2014it builds up slowly; seemingly unnoticable at first. But give it enough time, and it can turn into a force of nature capable of destroying everything in its path.<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Actionable insight(s): If you avoid taking action (procrastination), then the wave of momentum flows in that direction. But if you focus on chunking something down into a Next Action\u2014a simple, do-able task you can take immediate action on\u2014then the momentum rolls in <em>that<\/em> direction. And the more you focus on the positive\u2013chunking down and taking action\u2013the more momentum you build up<\/strong> \u2026 And the more momentum you build up, the more next actions you take \u2026 And the more next actions you take, the more things you get done \u2026 And the more things you get done, the you move towards taking your greatest dreams and turning them into reality.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<blockquote><p>Prefer audio? <a href=\"https:\/\/itunes.apple.com\/us\/podcast\/how-to-stop-procrastinating\/id904829767?i=354564359&amp;mt=2\" target=\"_blank\">Click here to listen on iTunes<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<h2>LEARN HOW TO STOP PROCRASTINATING BY DEVELOPING THE \u201cNEXT ACTION\u201d HABIT<\/h2>\n<p>Here are some crucial quotes about harnessing the power of the Next Action to finally stop procrastinating\u2014pulled from David Allen\u2019s book, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.getflashnotes.com\/portfolio\/getting_things_done\/\" target=\"_blank\">Getting Things Done<\/a>:<\/p>\n<blockquote><p>&#8220;You are either positively drawn toward completing the action or reluctant to think about what it is and resistant to getting involved in it.<\/p>\n<p>Often it\u2019s simply the next-action decision that makes the difference between the two extremes. Thinking and deciding require energy. And when you notice something unfinished in your world but haven\u2019t determined what the next action is yet, you\u2019ll tend to be reminded of your fatigue and sense of being overwhelmed! Hence most people\u2019s reaction to their own lists and organizers is negative\u2014 not because of the contents per se, but rather because sufficient appropriate thinking has yet to be applied to them.<\/p>\n<p>In following up with people who have begun to implement [The GTD Methodology], I\u2019ve discovered that one of the subtler ways many of them fall off the wagon is in letting their action lists grow back into lists of tasks or sub-projects instead of discrete next actions.<\/p>\n<p>They\u2019re still ahead of most people because they\u2019re actually writing things down, but they often find themselves stuck, and procrastinating, because they\u2019ve allowed their action lists to harbor items like:<\/p>\n<blockquote><p>\u201cMeeting with the banquet committee\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cJohnny\u2019s birthday\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cReceptionist\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cSlide presentation\u201d<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p>In other words, things have morphed back into \u201cstuff\u201d instead of starting at the action level. There are no clear next actions here, and anyone keeping a list filled with items like this would send her brain into overload every time she looked at it.<\/p>\n<p>Is this extra work? Is figuring out the next action on your commitments additional effort that you don\u2019t need to expend?<\/p>\n<p>No, of course not. If you need to get your car tuned, for instance, you\u2019re going to have to figure out that next action at some point anyway. The problem is that most people wait to do it until the next action is \u201cCall the Auto Club for tow truck!\u201d<\/p>\n<p>So when do you think most people really make a lot of their next-action decisions about their stuff\u2014 when it <em>shows up<\/em>, or when it <em>blows up<\/em>?<\/p>\n<p>And do you think there might be a difference in the quality of their lives if they handled this knowledge work on the front end instead of the back? Which do you think is the more efficient way to move through life\u2014 deciding next actions on your projects as soon as they appear on your radar screen and then efficiently GROUPING them into CATEGORIES of ACTIONS that you get done in certain uniform CONTEXTS, or avoiding thinking about what, exactly, needs to be done until it has to be done, then sputtering through your actions as you try to catch up and put out the fires?<\/p>\n<p>Avoiding action decisions until the pressure of the last minute creates huge inefficiencies and unnecessary stress. That may sound exaggerated, but when I ask groups of people to estimate when most of the action decisions are made in their companies, with few exceptions they say, \u201cWhen things blow up.\u201d<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p>The number one source of stress in the workplace\u2014and the thing people complain about most\u2014is CRISIS work. <a class=\"footnote\" title=\"see footnote\" href=\"0\">[0]<\/a> \u2026 A huge portion of work-related stress comes from an overload of last-minute crisis work that\u2019s consistently promoted and enforced by managers and leaders who failed to make the right decisions at the front end. In other words: when we\u2019re not clear about the next physical action, we\u2019re preparing to procrastinate.<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Actionable insight(s): You\u2019re either attracted or repelled by the things on your list(s)\u2014so make those things attractive by making them ACTIONABLE. Action is attractive, so let\u2019s start taking more of it!<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<blockquote><p>Prefer audio? <a href=\"https:\/\/itunes.apple.com\/us\/podcast\/how-to-stop-procrastinating\/id904829767?i=354564359&amp;mt=2\" target=\"_blank\">Click here to listen on iTunes<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<h2>3-STEP RECAP \u2014 HOW TO STOP PROCRASTINATING AND START CRUSHING IT<\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li>Do you have a list of ideas\/tasks\/to-dos that you\u2019re not taking action (procrastinating) on? Go through it RIGHT NOW and write down a single, physical, NEXT ACTION you can take towards moving that idea\/task\/project\/goal forward. Even if it\u2019s something small. Make it actionable and DO IT.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>The best way to beat procrastination is by way of taking deliberate action\u2014yearly, monthly, weekly, daily, and in this very moment.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Here are 3 things to keep in mind if you want to finally get a handle on your procrastination problem:<\/strong><\/p>\n<ol>\n<li><strong>Understand that procrastination is a FEELING\u2014<\/strong>We procrastinate because of the images we create in our mind\u2019s eye about how <em>pleasurable<\/em> or how <em>painful<\/em> taking action on a given thing\/task may or may not be.<\/li>\n<li><strong>The secret to stop procrastinating is to SHIFT your FOCUS<\/strong> from \u201cthere\u2019s so much stuff <a href=\"www.meaningfulhq.com\/i-get-to.html\" target=\"_blank\">I have to do<\/a>\u201d to\u2014&gt; \u201c<a href=\"www.meaningfulhq.com\/the-one-thing.html\" target=\"_blank\">what\u2019s one simple thing I can do right now to move this project forward?<\/a>\u201d<\/li>\n<li><strong>CHUNK it down and MAKE IT DO-ABLE.<\/strong> If you find yourself procrastinating on something, all you need to do is clarify + simplify\u2014just take whatever you\u2019re procrastinating on and figure out what the NEXT PHYSICAL ACTION you can take is. It doesn\u2019t matter how small the action is, it just matters that there\u2019s an action attached to the task\/project that\u2019s DO-ABLE, and capable of moving your project even 1\/2 an inch closer towards completion.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<p>Go get em\u2019.<\/p>\n<p>&#8212;-<\/p>\n<p><em>Dean Bokhari is best-selling author and host of\u00a0<a href=\"http:\/\/www.meaningfulhq.com\">Meaningful*FM (MeaningfulHQ.com),<\/a>one of the web&#8217;s most popular personal development podcasts.<\/em><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Wanna learn how to stop procrastinating? Look no further than this brief, but powerful guide. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.pickthebrain.com\/blog\/stop-procrastinating-brief-guide\/\">Continue reading <span class=\"meta-nav\">&rarr;<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":9145,"featured_media":36493,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0},"categories":[9,17,21,6,31],"tags":[4354,3619,1562,66,186,4629],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v19.1 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>How To Stop Procrastinating (A Brief Guide)<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Wanna learn how to stop procrastinating? 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