Figure Out Why You Procrastinate and Take Action Now

The good news is that since procrastination is commonly the failure to do something, it can be solved by starting to do what needs to be done.

Once you have figured out what has been causing you to procrastinate, it is time to kick those reasons to the side and take action now. In my world, no matter what my reason for procrastination, I have two ways of pushing myself to take action now. I will share these two methods with you. If they work for you, that is a good thing. It means you will have two new tools in your take action now toolbox. Don’t stop with these two however, find ways of your own as well. It is better to have many tools in the toolbox.

The first is the 5 second rule I got from the television show “Lost.” It is a method I use often, including the worst day of my life. Using the  Lost method, I allow myself to be angry, scared, doubtful, insecure or any other emotion that keeps me from taking action now. The catch? I can only sit and be inactive for five seconds. After five seconds I push myself to take action now and do whatever I need to do. This method works for me because I have an opportunity to panic, cry, scream or do whatever I needed to do at the moment. Then after letting the emotions control things for 5 minutes, action takes place and things get done.

The second tool I use to kick procrastination in the butt is what I call the Best/Worst Test. With this method I figure out what is the worst thing that can happen if I take action now. Immediately after I figure out what is the best thing that will happen if I take action now. Once I can identify each of these ends of the spectrum, I feel empowered. Once I know I identify the best and worst that can happen, I feel empowered. The knowledge inspires me to move. I am inspired because I know that I can handle whatever the outcome will be.

Now you can figure out how to stop procrastinating. Take time now to look at the lists you have written. Look at when you have failed to take action now. Look at the other list where you wrote out why you have failed to act when you should. Now create another list. This is a list of ways to fight some common reasons for failing to take action now.

1. Fear of Success
If you are afraid of what will happen if you succeed, imagine all the good things that will happen if you succeed. Imagine how you will feel if all your dreams come true. Force those thoughts into your mind each time fear of success raises its ugly head.

2. Fear of Failure
If you are afraid you will fail. Figure out why. What are you missing that makes your failure a real possibility. Find out what you are missing that makes failure a possibility and eliminate it. Do you have the tools, education and work ethic? If so, perhaps your fear of failure is not realistic.

3. Lack of Self-Confidence
What is it that keeps you from believing in yourself? When you figure out what that is, you will gain the self-confidence you need to take action now and succeed. In the meantime, perhaps this quote from Jesse Jackson will give you some confidence, “If your mind can conceive it, and your heart can believe it, you can achieve it.” In other words, if you can convince yourself that you can do whatever idea you have come up with, you can get it done. So start telling yourself you can do it.

4. Past Failures
Perhaps you procrastinate and fail to take action now when you should because you have failed in the past. If this is the case, so what! If at first you don’t succeed, get up and try it again. No excuses. People mess up. That is why pencils have erasers and why computers have backspace and delete buttons. A past failure is not a good enough reason to procrastinate or fail to take action now.

5. Listening to Others Instead of Yourself
One thing that is part of being a grown up is realizing that sometimes you have to pat your own self on the back. You cannot succeed if you listen to other people’s predictions of doom and gloom instead of believing in your own success. Never listen to someone else’s negative thoughts over your own positive ones.

6. Lack of Prior Experience
This may be your first time attempting a thing and that scares you and causes you to procrastinate. Don’t let it. Every thing you have ever done, you had to do for the first time at one point or another. Think about it, walk, read, write eat, even tie your shoes. You had to do all of those things for the first time at some point in your life. So, suck it up and go for it.

7. Lack of Expertise
People often procrastinate and fail to take action now because they are not experts. These people feel that since they are not experts they should do nothing or let someone else step up and take control. In order to defeat this excuse, remember that it doesn’t have to be perfect to be profitable. In other words, you can succeed without perfection. Do your best and move forward.

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