Move Forward Enthusiastically: 5 Ways to Transform Procrastination into Action
If you want to reach your next goal, manifest your vision, or resolve life’s inevitable glitches, you need to take action. In your mind, you see yourself moving forward quickly, seamlessly, and enthusiastically. When all goes smoothly, you move through your to-do list in a focused and confident way.
But then you hit a snag. You stall. You stop checking items off your list. As your inner avoidance and resistance grow, you realize you are procrastinating. Your sense of confidence diminishes, your self-esteem takes a hit, and soon you question whether you will ever make it past this hurdle.
What if procrastination isn’t about you? What if procrastination is a sign that something about your plan isn’t working for you? If you can identify what’s not feeling right in the situation, you have the opportunity to design a different approach to finishing the task in front of you.
Next time you feel stalled, use these five simple questions to turn your procrastination into action:
- Are you really focusing on the best next step? Is it possible that something else needs to be done before you can complete the step you are targeting? Take a step back to look at the bigger picture. Make a list of the steps to complete what you are working on. Break each task into smaller steps to see if you’ve forgotten any essential pieces of the puzzle. Adjust your priorities accordingly, and you’ll be able to move forward again.
- Do you have enough details? Sometimes it is difficult to make decisions when you don’t have sufficient information. Perhaps you are stalled because you don’t have the full story. What questions keep running through your mind as you work on your project? It’s possible that you are missing crucial information that is needed to move forward. When you factor in that new information, you will find it much easier to make progress.
- Is this the right time to take action? It’s easy to get overly attached to an internally-set deadline. Is it possible that there is a good reason you’ve been holding back on taking this action? Does something else need your attention right now? Are you too busy to handle your current project adequately? Sometimes unexpected time delays are a blessing in disguise. A new wave of information may bring new clarity, a new sense of your priorities, or a better understanding of what needs to happen next. It’s also possible that the best timing has nothing to do with you and more to do with external events that need to happen before it is your turn to act.
- Do you have the resources and knowledge you need to be successful? As you prepare to fulfill the task at hand, do you feel qualified to do so? Do you have the resources you need? Do you have a general or in-depth understanding of what you are trying to accomplish? If possible, take a few minutes to research ways to fill in the gaps. If you can’t resolve the gaps with relative ease, you may not be the right person for the job.
- Are you the best person for this task? When a task is on your to-do list, it is easy to think you must be the one to get it done. But what if you aren’t the best person for the project? Consider delegating the task to someone with a special skill set so that you don’t have to take extra time to learn how to do it. Or perhaps someone in your family or a friend could take care of a simple, straightforward task for you. Expand your options before making a decision.
- Would you feel better partnering with someone? When you are tackling a project on your own, it is easy to get bogged down by “what-if…” and “should-I-do-this-or-that…” Would it be helpful for you to team up with someone who can be a sounding board, a brainstorming partner, or a strategic planning partner? Or would tackling tasks with someone else on your team help you gain momentum?
By incorporating these questions into your planning process, you will be able to evolve your plan and simplify your path forward. The sooner you realize that your procrastination is not a statement about your character, the easier it will be to create momentum as you move forward with your life enthusiastically.
Carol McClelland Fields, PhD, an award-winning author and Board Certified Coach, provides inspiration and practical support for those who are in the midst of transition. Embrace a compassionate relationship with change. Carol works with people globally, including professionals who work with clients in transition, as an emerging or seasoned coach, therapist, or other Change Catalyst. Download Carol’s eBook, Riding the Waves of Change: Growing, Healing, and Evolving Through Times of Deep Uncertainty at www.CarolMcClellandFields.com
