All the other important life skills (see here, here, and here) are of no use without this one: action. As “Q”, the quartermaster of the Mi6 told 007 in Skyfall: “Good luck out there in the field!” you must go out and experience firsthand what is working for you and what is not.
Procrastination
Everything you do after you have reached a certain level of preparation is just procrastination:
Some people use the excuse to start a new habit by Jan. 1st.
Other people procrastinate because they think they are not ready for it. I fall victim to this too from time to time. But I learned during my altMBA training that good enough is much better than not shipped.
Some people postpone certain things even until their retirement because they “have no time now”.
Whatever your reason for procrastination is – just kick it out of your mind and start. Some of the following guidelines may help you.
Little Helpers
Be aware that there is procrastination. We are all human. That’s part of our identity. It has to do with feeling safe. Our brain is primed to protect us from possible dangers. But it cannot distinguish between a real threat to our lives and other situations that make us feel endangered.
Take, for example, a presentation you must give in front of an audience in two weeks’ time. Public speaking feels very scary to a lot of people and the body reacts as if you are facing a real threat: your heart may go up, you begin to sweat, and you are feeling nervous. To prevent this scary feeling to become too intimidating we procrastinate. “I have enough time for the preparation and the rehearsals!” Suddenly day x is tomorrow, and you even feel more panicked. Sounds familiar?
Be aware that putting yourself and your work out into the world can be scary. But normally it is not life-threatening. You can do it. Maybe this habit helps you.
Every time you feel procrastination just push it mentally away and start doing. I remind myself that it is all about doing. Sometimes it helps me to watch a short motivational video before I start. – Well, yes, also a kind of procrastination but more a part of my personal kick-off ritual.
Remind yourself that all the effort you made so far, all the work that you put into your project, or your personal development is lost, if you are not putting it into action.
As with habit change in general, it is important to start small. If you want to do more strength training, for example, do 3 squats or 3 pushups a day. If you want to eat healthier consume one more green salad a week. If you want to be properly hydrated start the day with a glass of water. If you want to post more on the internet, post a short piece of content every week. You get the idea.
Prioritize and focus. Having too much on the table simultaneously can be overwhelming. If you want to start a new business, move to a new house and have more quality time with your three kids then it’s going to be very frustrating. Find out what is really important for you now and start with one endeavour at a time.
Get yourself an accountability partner. Tell someone you trust about your plans. Tell her, that you are starting this endeavour and you would like her to check in with you regularly and hold you accountable. Share your thoughts with a group of people online and ask them for their support. It helps to have somebody thinking about you.
Set your environment for the action. If you want to run in the morning prepare the running equipment the night before. If you want to work more in a standing position set the height of your table to the standing position in the evening so you can start in a standing position the next day. Have a tidy and comfortable workplace ready for getting the work done.
Conclusion
It’s all about action. I know that is the hard part of every project or endeavour. It is human to feel scared, overwhelmed and not in the mood right now. But procrastination is just a tool of our brain to keep us safe. But in most cases, it is useless. Stop getting ready to get ready. Start today and embrace the priceless feeling of overcoming procrastination and fear.
Photo by Jakob Owens on Unsplash.
