3 ways to stop procrastinating

Procrastination, as defined by the Cambridge Dictionary, is the act of continuously "delaying something that must be done, often because it is unpleasant or boring".

But what drives procrastination? Is it really just laziness... or incompetence?

Well, from the different articles I've read so far, here are the top 3 reasons why we procrastinate and what we can do to help.

#1 - Fear of failure

When we have a task that we need to prioritize and get done, feelings of doubt can creep in and make us question ourselves and our level of competency in being able to actually finish the task successfully. So thoughts like, "what if I fail?" "What if im doing this totally wrong?" These thoughts can become really overwhelming and ultimately drive us to  chase after something else that is easier or less intimidating than the task we actually need to work on.

Another concept related to this is perfectionism and having like the highest standards EVER. So when people call themselves perfectionists, I don't admire them at all. It's actually almost a red flag for me - if you tell me you're a perfectionist, it sounds like you nit-pick at the things  that no one else will notice instead of actually spending time working on creating something of real value.

Be kind to yourself and the content that you create because by creating these unrealistic expectations and thinking that you need to create the best piece of work in the world, that just puts way too much unnecessary pressure on yourself and you might just end up not doing anything at all.

#2 - Too many options

Second is having too many options or no guidance on how to go about doing something.  When you jump into a project without a plan of action steps, it can become overwhelming again with how much stuff you really need to be working on and the number of things on your to-do list.

We need to remember that the things that are worth it don't happen overnight and we need to break down our big plan into small, doable steps so it's not as daunting. So this way, we are reminded that we need to take it one step at a time rather than trying to work on multiple different chunks all at once. That isn't very realistic and it's also much harder to go in-depth with each piece this way.

#3 - Procrastination as a way of coping

The third is thinking that procrastinating will make you feel better or help you cope with any negative feelings, like doubt or anxiety about not performing well. So, for example, by watching YouTube or TikTok videos for hours on end instead of working on your weekly report due tomorrow at your job or doing might feel entertaining at first, but then what?

When you stop watching the videos that aren't really serving you any kind of purpose, you probably feel worse than when you started because instead of spending that time thinking about ideas and getting something done, you got nothing done that can positively contribute to the task you really need to work on.

When you procrastinate, you're giving yourself a false sense of achievement. Procrastination is a form of self-harm because you're mentally giving yourself less opportunities to achieve what you deserve and less chances of genuine fulfillment.

Ways to help

So, now what? How can we propel a positive loop of productivity and actual worthy content creation? Well first, if you really have no idea what you're doing, I would suggest researching! Get some guidance and action steps in place so you have some sort of path that you'll follow. So this outline doesn't have to be set in stone either.

As you work more on it and get more feedback, your action steps will evolve and only improve over time. Also, break down your steps into small concrete steps and set a schedule for yourself. So what are you going to work on today, tomorrow, the day after that?

Next, don't overthink it. Instead of waiting around and nit-picking at every detail, once you have your action plan, just go for it! The worst thing that could happen is that your action plan doesn't really work, but so what? You keep going and trying different things. And that's the only way that you realize that method doesn't. If you don't do ANYTHING, that's the only guaranteed way that nothing happens.

Also, when you run into obstacles and feel like going back to those hour long sessions of mindless scrolling through social media, just remember the end goal. So what are you trying to get out of this project? Remember your why. I talked about how having a strong foundation and having a strong WHY behind your actions keeps you going in your mission and goals.

And remember that the long-term benefit and getting your priorities straight will give you a significantly larger sense of accomplishment than the short-term feelings of avoidance and false sense of achievement you get when procrastinating.

Final thoughts

Finally, please be kind to yourself and practice self-compassion. If you're like me and you tell yourself you need to be the best of the best to be worth anyone's time, tell that voice to shut up real quick and sit down, ESPECIALLY when you are just starting out on this journey of personal development and content creation.

You need to make a plan, commit to it, and honestly make SOMETHING. Don't beat yourself up for going ahead and making something. In fact, be proud that you took the time to pour your energy into this piece of work and commit yourself to improving. That's how you get better and learn your own steps for however you define success.

Go for it! I BELIEVE IN YOU.