Is procrastination blocking your next step?
Image: Jielin Chen
Have you ever noticed that it often takes more time and energy to talk about (ruminate about, complain about, think about…) doing something than to actually DO IT?
That's procrastination in action.
A colleague and I were talking about this recently. We had a big project coming up together and there were delays. Tasks we weren’t too excited about tackling. Ideas that we were really excited about implementing. Yet, they weren't getting done.
Sure, we could chalk our procrastination up to our busy schedules, our workloads, competing priorities, pandemic fatigue, planetary alignments, what have you. All of that can occasionally be valid (and I’m sure our brains could make a defensive case for any of those excuses). But the reality was that it was taking just as long, if not longer, to have the conversations we were having over the details (and our feelings about doing all the things) than it would have to just have taken action on the project that we were having yet another conversation about.
We had a good laugh at ourselves and then we got to work on the tasks at hand. Not surprisingly, our project took shape rather quickly after that.
Do you ever talk, talk, talk your way around a task, a project or a step forward instead of taking action on it?
It’s likely to happen whenever there’s an emotional charge. Maybe it’s the thing you dread doing, the thing that's new and scary, or even the thing you most want to do. Knowing what’s at play in your emotions and in the thought patterns aligned with those feelings can help dissolve the procrastination block and help you stay in momentum. That awareness alone can help you accomplish many things in half the time.
Here are a few ways you might be staying stuck and mischanneling your energy (and what to do about them so that you can move into action):
You’re in a procrastination habit.
It may be as simple as a habit that keeps you circling. If that’s the case, chances are you talk a lot about things you’re going to do or plan to do or “have to” do before ever actually starting. If this is you (and this was me and my colleague!), consider the time and energy you’re expending on planning, talking or pre-gaming— and how that pre-game chatter keeps you in the gap between where you are and where you’re headed.
You don’t know how to begin.
Sometimes, you really do need more information, or need to build knowledge or skill before it makes sense to jump fully into the actions in question. Sometimes, you need a role model, a mentor or a thinking partner to brainstorm what’s needed. Allow yourself to identify specifically what you need and map out the steps to go get it. Come back a bit more prepared and see what changes.
You want to stay safe.
You can’t fail if you’re not taking on new and scary actions, right? This keeps many of us stuck, particularly when our thoughts about failure are that it is wrong, bad or unacceptable. (It’s none of those things. It’s often a catalyst for growth.) When ideas are just ideas, there are few consequences. There are also few results. Talking about that book you’re going to write and not writing or complaining about your unsatisfying job but not changing anything are surefire ways to feel the illusion of safety. They’re also really unsatisfying ways to spend your time and energy because you’re holding yourself back from growth and fulfillment.
You want to be liked.
When something is important to you — a business idea, a creative project, a career move — it’s easy to get caught up in identifying with it. That can sometimes paralyze us into inaction. Your idea can’t be held up and found lacking if you don’t share it and execute on it. Your new promotion won’t ruffle feathers if you don’t go for it. Let go of wanting to please others and approach your next steps with a greater good in mind, one that includes your own well being and trust in yourself. Continually refocus your identity and self-worth back where it belongs —inside you and not attached to external influences and outward goals.
You haven’t got a plan.
A desire to know where you are headed and have prudent safeguards in place can keep many people stuck and not moving forward. The antidote? Make the plan. We cannot always be certain how circumstances will unfold, but you can honor what you need, what is important to you, and what you are responsible for. Build in how you will approach challenges, and come back to your next steps prepared. That feeling of having done the homework can often create a more tolerable space around the uncertainty that is inevitable with change.
You really dislike or fear that task.
Guess what? The longer you talk about it instead of doing it, the longer you get to experience that uncomfortable feeling. Just do it, and you might find it’s not so bad. Or at least, it’s done — and with much less energy expended. You might also brainstorm ways to make the experience a more positive one by reframing how you will approach it or by adding something more pleasant to the task.
You’re gaining something you think you need by standing still.
Sometimes there’s a good reason why you are not taking action towards what you think you want — at least according to your brain. This one requires a little investigation into how not moving forward may be providing another benefit. Maybe you really enjoy the learning and the exploration that comes before your action plan and you don’t want to leave that behind. (Think about how you can build that in.) Maybe you need a longer time-out to regain your equilibrium before plunging into a new career role. (Maybe there is another timeline that would work better for you?) Maybe there are reservations that need to be addressed before you can confidently act. (Revisit your decision criteria and your motivation and see what you find.)
What keeps you circling in procrastination? Before shaming yourself for not moving fast enough or decisively enough, take some time to ask where the resistance is coming from. Embrace it. Give it what it needs. Then you can steer yourself back into a more inspired and empowered way of taking your next steps.
If you want help moving forward, customized, confidential 1:1 life and career reinvention coaching may be for you. Schedule your free coaching consultation here.
