How to Beat Procrastination for Good
Replace impulsive behaviors with valuable habits.
When you’re about to tackle a huge project, one you know will be stressful and demanding, a thought tells you to check your phone.
You pick it up, no notifications.
You open Instagram to check for any updates, also nothing new.
Then you jump onto YouTube to see if there’s any new content, and there it is.
You see a sandwich recipe short and convince yourself to watch it because you’ll need it the next time you’re making sandwiches for your spouse.
You’re tired of this short, so you scroll down to get away from it and you see something about dog training. You were thinking about adopting a dog, so you watch this one too.
When you put down your phone, you see that an hour has passed.
Your mind feels like mashed potatoes from all that content, and now you have to take on this huge project.
You’re a little mad at yourself because now you have to work late.
Why do you think this happens?
I asked myself this question when I was stuck in this bubble.
I picked up some bad habits, like checking my phone and scrolling social media.
It was so strange, I did it naturally before every deep work session.
When I thought about how much time I wasted, it filled me with regret and disappointment, especially when I knew I could have spent my time better.
But why did I get stuck here?
Fear.
Not the kind you get when you look down from a tall building, this was a subtle kind.
Before every deep work session, I knew the amount of effort the project would need.
I knew it would be stressful and filled with people management.
My brain estimated all of this and went into fight, flight, or freeze mode.
Before I jumped into the project, I thought let me check if everything is okay on my phone(flight).
Which led to me checking my WhatsApp messages.
Then YouTube.
And lastly Twitter.
Instead of facing my subtle fear head-on, I chose procrastination.
Procrastination is a response to fear.
It’s much easier to pick up your phone and scroll Instagram than it is to start a new project and get lost in that stress bubble.
I got mad at myself for doing this, especially since I knew that I was better than this.
I’ve faced tougher projects in my life, and to choose to run away now didn’t make sense, especially since I’m building my Cyber Security business on the side.
So I went to the place where most of my reflections happen, my quiet nights where I think about my days.
I noticed the different thoughts that led to my impulsive choices.
I promised myself to not check my phone when I need to get work done.
This tiny agreement with myself changed everything.
Every time I was in a stressful moment, I observed the thoughts telling me to pick up my phone, and I reminded myself that we had work to do.
I let those thoughts go.
Now, I briefly check for emergencies from my wife or family, and then I put my phone down and get back to work.
Self-awareness and self-control are key to overcoming procrastination and the fear behind it.
If you’re using your phone as an escape from stress, anxiety and other heavy emotions, then you need to step back too.
Work on your self-awareness.
Look at the thoughts convincing you to pick up your phone.
Are they honest? If so, then good. But be in control of yourself because there are bigger things that need your time and energy as well.
If they are lies, then let them go and dive back into your work.
This is the power of self-control — instead of giving in to your phone and scrolling for hours, you’re able to check for emergencies before getting back to work.
You use it for the tool that it is.
The guilt, regret, and disappointment that you feel are your emotions telling you that you can be better, that you must be better.
So, stop the instant gratification, stop holding yourself back, and start focusing on the things that matter in your life.
You can be a lot greater than you currently are.
Why wait any longer?
Invest in your existence,
René
