Last Sunday was the day I was supposed to write my blog. I used to do it every Sunday, so it was a habit. I never missed a Sunday for over four years. This summer, I decided to back off and write every other week. It was a choice to ease up a little on myself and spend that time working on other business-related tasks. Last week I got stuck in procrastination and did not blog.
I am writing last Sunday’s blog, so I missed a week. Why? Not because I didn’t have the time, I did. In fact, I did very little writing this week because I was working and feeling a bit off. Maybe the after-effects of the Covid that I had a few weeks ago. I was unmotivated and a bit discouraged about my busy work week. I was unmotivated, feeling lethargic, and did not bother to honor myself by writing.
So, today I am writing about motivation as a message to myself and you. You can do anything with the right motivation and the tools to understand procrastination.
Procrastination is something that most of us do. We drag our feet and distract ourselves when we know that there is something else that we should be doing. Avoiding work or procrastination usually comes from the thought that tasks will be difficult or painful. Another thought that often keeps us stuck in procrastination is that we don’t have time. When you are busy scrolling through Instagram or TickTock, you are probably avoiding something else you want to get done.
So when you catch yourself procrastinating, try a few tricks to get motivated. Start by thinking about your values and priorities. If I know I have twenty things to do today; I will most likely avoid getting started because my brain thinks it is too much. If I make my list first, then choose the most important thing - the priority - I will be more likely to start on that one. It goes back to knowing your “why .”If you have a solid reason to do something, it becomes your priority, and then you can focus on that one thing. Focusing on one priority at a time helps you avoid the overwhelming feelings that cause you to procrastinate. Starting on one goal and one small step allows you to create motivation to get it done. Today this blog was my goal.
Once you have chosen your priority, decide how long it might take to finish. If you don’t know, guess and set aside that time to work on it. For example, if my priority is to pull weeds in my yard, and I guess it will take an hour, I can start weeding, set the timer for an hour, and see how far I have gone. If I want to work longer, I can, but at least with the timer running, I focus and know that there is an end in sight. The task seems more manageable when I know I only have to do it for an hour. If I get it all done, great! If not, I can reschedule it for another day or work another hour to finish.
Expect negative emotions. If you expect to feel uncomfortable, you will be more able to handle the uncomfortable feeling that comes with a heavy schedule. Practice makes perfect when it comes to feeling uncomfortable on purpose. I always feel resistance when I start to write. “You don’t have a great idea,” my brain tells me, or the most common one, “I don’t feel like writing.” Those negative thoughts and emotions allow me to procrastinate. Sitting with the blank page in front of me and listening to my brain’s excuses, I start to type, eventually resulting in something on the page. I create motivation by feeling and overcoming my negative thoughts and emotions.
My last tip for you today is to get someone to hold you accountable for your goals. When I am very stuck, it helps to talk to my life coach or my husband, and I ask them to help me understand what keeps me from accomplishing my goals. Sometimes just having someone outside yourself helps teach you about yourself. Your coach will give you the kick in the pants you need to get motivated and moving.
This blog is complete because I took the time to get over my week-long procrastination and created a little motivation to get it off my to-do list. Now I must face the rest of my busy week. The motivation I created to get this writing done will help carry me through to get to everything else on my list. I challenge you to finish this read, make your to-do list, then work to get started on the priority.
Get something done and create motivation to carry you through your week, even if you don’t feel like it.
Dr. Julie Cappel
“The secret of getting ahead is getting started.” - Mark Twain.
