How to Stop Procrastinating Pt. 2

Here are some steps to stop procrastination. The first thing you will want to do is to figure out what is causing you to associate pain to getting a task done. Let's say you want to clean out the garage. Just thinking about it makes you shiver. Well, that's the reason why you have been putting it off. It's what you visualize in your mind that is causing you the pain. You haven't actually done anything yet so in reality, you aren't experiencing any pain.

This means you need to work on what you are focusing on in your mind. In this case, instead of thinking about how long cleaning the garage is going to take, focus on how great it would feel once it's all cleaned up. Or you can focus on all the free time you will have after you get this task over with.

The point here is to get yourself to associate pleasure to getting the task done. When you can get yourself to look forward to taking action, you won't procrastinate.

Another way you can stop procrastinating is to associate more pain to NOT taking action. Let's say you need to get back into shape but you keep putting off going to the gym and no matter how much you try to tell yourself how great you will look if you get yourself to go to the gym, you still don't go. In this case, you will need to focus on the pain of not getting into shape. Imagine how your body and health will be 5 years from now if you don't start taking better care of yourself. Now imagine how you will look 10 years from now, 20 years from now.

The key to making this work is to actually feel the pain you would cause yourself by not taking action. Where would your life be 5, 10, or 20 years from now if you keep letting procrastination take the best of you? If you can make this experience intense enough, it will drive you to take immediate action.