How to stop procrastinating and be like NIKE

Stop the Glorification of Busy

Being busy has become very fashionable these days, especially in fast-paced societies like Hong Kong and other metropolitan cities. But what is actually behind “being busy”?

“Busy is a Drug that a lot of people are addicted to.” ~Rob Bell

If something or someone is truly important to you, then you will make the time because it is a priority to you. Have you ever considered that by telling yourself and others that you are busy, it provides you with an excuse to procrastinate?

Why Procrastination is our biggest enemy

Are you telling yourself that it’s not the perfect timing and that you need the right amount of time, space and what not – and then waiting for a sign from above to start?

Whenever we procrastinate, we come up with reasons to avoid doing something that actually matters to us. If we put things off, this can have a bigger implication than we actually realize. Procrastination also fosters stress. In addition to the stress, guilt comes into play and more consequences will arise apart from you not acting on what truly matters in your life: Losing your ambition and desire to succeed; not focusing on what matters resulting in sabotaging your dreams; gaining a bad reputation with others.

Sometimes we even create reasons in our heads that tell us with enough logic that we can delay the task that we should do. Being self-aware of these avoidance tactics is one step closer to stopping them.

When I work with my clients often times the reason for procrastination is fear of failure and the lack of prioritization.

Practical tips to help you overcome procrastination

Here you will find specially curated tips that I personally found very practical and useful including links for more information, so you can start incorporating them in your life to help you get things done that truly matters.

My “Just Do It” Hacks:

1. Remind yourself that there is always more to be done and that can be done. Ask yourself whether you are getting the right things done.
2. Remove temptation to do something else while you are working on your priority especially getting rid of any digital distractions. Just putting your mobile away may not help anymore. Here are some tools that may help you.
3. Refocus and think of the consequences resulting from avoiding your priority.
4. If TO-DO lists don’t work for you, make a Don’t Do list that you are avoiding but are actually your priority. Make sure you set the deadlines as well. Or read how millionaires scrap the To-Do Lists for something more useful.
5. If the task only takes 2 minutes, act immediately and just do it now.
6. Break the task down in chunks to help you feel less overwhelmed and celebrate each accomplishment to help you stay motivated to keep going. 
7. Share your intentions with someone else like an accountability partner. This will add pressure for you to get it done. And some people need the external pressure.
8. Focus on the success you will achieve and the joy you will feel once you have completed the task.

I would like to hear from you which of these tips you would immediately apply. Do you have any other tips to share that helped you overcome procrastination?