you have a project or you have a goal
and you can't seem to get yourself to do
what you know you need to do this one or
more of these techniques can help you
and you really steer away from Perez
nation and help you get back on track
and it requires a little bit of practice
every single day how do you stop
avoiding the things that you need to
accomplish in your life can you all
think about right now something that you
know you need to do something that's
very important to your health to your
work to your family for yourself but you
keep on putting it off procrastination
really is the practice of doing more
pleasurable things in the place of less
pleasurable things so that you're
putting off impending tasks to a later
time procrastination can lead to
feelings of guilt inadequacy depression
self-doubt I mean it robs you from the
life that you desire and the life you
really deserve so in this episode I'm
going to share with you my five quick
brain tips on how to beat
procrastination so number one tip on how
to overcome procrastination if you're
such a great procrastinator I recommend
that you procrastinate about
procrastinating meaning that you put it
off yes the best way to overcome
procrastination may be to put it off and
delay your procrastination for another
day that's kind of tongue-in-cheek but
if you are really good at the ability to
put things off and put off putting
things off
number two is start somewhere all right
start somewhere and this really employs
the Zeigarnik effect basically saying
that once somebody starts something they
need to finish it in order to have
closure and they retain that information
so using this for procrastination start
somewhere and if you start somewhere
you're more likely to complete
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number three is to break it down break
it down this is where you break down
this project or your goal into
bite-sized pieces because one of the
biggest challenges that keep you from
doing the things that you need to do is
sometimes you look at it like a really
big monster and it's so big and you
don't even know where to start
and as the saying goes the journey of a
thousand miles starts with one step so
you can do this with your workout
instead of anticipating the entire
workout break it down and tell yourself
I'm just gonna put on my workout shoes
and just get to the gym this is
employing a concept from BJ Fogg amazing
brilliant man he created this concept
called tiny habits so for example if you
can't get yourself in the habit of
flossing your teeth for example which we
know adds years to your life he says
just floss one tooth because who's gonna
floss just one tooth right you're gonna
obviously do the second and the third
and the fourth but this is breaking it
down into tiny little steps because it's
less intimidating than the big monster
that you might have it in your mind that
keeps you from doing what you need to do
and it requires a little bit of practice
every single day so I don't ask people
just pick up a book I just and read it I
want them just to read one sentence
because I know they won't stop with one
sentence they'll throw it on the second
sentence and the third and so on and so
the third step began is break it down
the fourth key that I would give you to
be able to beat procrastination is to be
kind to yourself and I really listen to
this because it might surprise you
but beating yourself up because you
didn't go to the gym or you did make
your meal prep or you didn't do this at
work or whatever it is that you need to
do actually has the reverse effect of
what you're trying to do and actually
people you would think that you gave
yourself some pain and some guilt that
you're more likely to change your
behavior but according to research is
actually says the exact opposite that a
lot of us beat ourselves up
because we missed something that's good
for us and reaches in the area of
self-compassion tells us that if you're
kind to yourself if your light with
yourself you're more likely to be able
to commit and follow through so don't
give yourself a lot of grief about not
be able to make it to the gym for
example tell yourself you know I'm human
this happens to the best of us I'm going
through a lot but I'm gonna do it
tomorrow
so being light with yourself and make a
plan so that you get it done and that's
really the key the fifth thing I would
recommend to be able to overcome like
this thing called procrastination is to
schedule it and this sounds like it's
obvious and it's common sense but it can
it's not common practice and finally
here's a bonus one I wasn't gonna add
this but number six I would say is come
up with your why come up with your why
one of my favorite books is by a friend
of ours named simon Sinek he might be
familiar with his TED talk he wrote a
book called start with Y and basically
it says that your purpose is what's
going to drive you and give you energy
and when you have a project or you have
a goal and you can't seem to get
yourself to do what you know you need to
do this try to imagine and visualize
vividly the results that you want tap
into the reasons for action and you're
able to get past procrastination I
believe that there is a success formula
I call it h cubed it goes from your head
to your heart to your hands but here's
the thing you could visualize your goals
in your head and affirm things in your
head all day but if you're not acting
with your hands usually what's missing
is a second age called your heart the
heart represents emotion the energy of
motion make a list of the things that
you'll get from doing this task that
you're putting off
we'll give you and when you tap into
that why you're more likely to do it
because you have fuel they can get
momentum and that's really the key
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