How to Stop Procrastinating and Get Things Done

I’m ready to do the work! So why can’t I get started? My 5-step formula for beating procrastination.

Photo by Magnet.me on Unsplash

I’ve been interested in starting a business for a loooooong time. I’ve spent hours listening to business podcasts, researching online marketing and trawling Pinterest for inspiration.

I’d absorb information and feel so excited. But when I sat down and tried to create something I’d feel apathetic. Why should I waste my time doing this? Will anybody even be interested? Then I’d forget about it and lose myself in Netflix.

I saw so many posts and podcasts telling me I needed to TAKE ACTION. I knew I was spending too much time “learning”and not enough “producing”’. But what I didn’t understand was how to make myself do the work. Other people didn’t seem to have a problem overcoming their apathy. These thoughts made me feel guilty and unworthy.

I talked about “procrastination” as if it was some force outside of my control. A natural instinct I would have to battle if I ever wanted to achieve anything.

But, the truth is, procrastinating is a choice we make. If we feel apathetic, or lazy, or confused, it’s not ‘just because’. There’s a thought causing that feeling.

I became curious about my own behaviour and eventually I stumbled onto two questions: What would it mean if I had a successful business? And on the other hand, what if it was a failure? What if no one ever read my blogs, or liked my posts, or brought my services! Or even worse, what if everyone I knew saw what I was doing, and hated it!

When I wrote it all down, I discovered I had linked having a successful business with being “good enough” as a person. And failing would mean I was a disappointment, stupid, not likeable enough.

I was trying to use business success as an indicator of how worthy I am as a person.

So it turned out my procrastinating wasn’t laziness, it was pure fear. Why would I ever create something if I saw it as a gamble on my self worth?

As soon as I saw my fear written down I could see its ridiculousness. This thought had been wreaking havoc in my subconscious and I’d never seen…