Procrastination is sneaky. By combining the use of a bullet journal with healthy habits, I thought I’d conquered that particular lifelong bad habit.
Not so. For the past few weeks I’ve dithered on several projects. Why? Finally it occurred to me that I’d dropped a good habit, because I forgot to do it, every day.
Procrastination is your brain’s fault
This article,Why Do People Procrastinate? A New Study Suggests It’s A Lot To Do With Your Brain, discusses recent scientific research. It discusses the amygdala as well as another area of the brain:
”Individuals with a larger amygdala may be more anxious about the negative consequences of an action — they tend to hesitate and put off things.” And a poorer connection between the amygdala and the DACC results in individuals being “less able to filter out interfering emotions and distractions.”
If you’re a procrastinator too, the article’s worth reading.
Let’s look at some tips to overcome procrastination. I’ve gone back to using all three tips. (They work.)
1. Meditate to take charge of your mind and life
Meditation’s been part of my life for many years, because I know how useful it is. A combination of circumstances meant that I’d let my practice slide.
This articled reminded me of how much I need it. From One Trick to Beat Procrastination Forever:
Every time you catch yourself with a wandering mind is a chance to practice awareness of your thoughts.
That’s a skill that you can use outside of your meditation session. So next time you’re procrastinating ask yourself, “What are you so afraid of?”
Yes. I meditated yesterday and today, and I’ve finally got moving on a couple of tasks.
2. Avoid obsession: it doesn’t need to be perfect (it just needs to be done)
While thinking about why I procrastinated, it suddenly occurred to me that I’d fallen into a familiar pattern… the need to do something as well as I possible can.
Unfortunately, it’s guaranteed that if you commit to doing tasks perfectly, even trivial tasks loom large. It’s easier to put them off, because they need so much energy.
So, I’ve committed to ACTION; getting it done, whether or not it’s done perfectly, or even done well.
3. Keep a running task list
The proverb, “For want of a nail the shoe was lost, for want of a shoe the horse was lost, and for want of a horse the man was lost”, is many centuries old.
I’ve returned to maintaining a running task list for all those “horseshoe nail” tasks. These are those tasks which while small, have the potential to cause havoc.
My criteria for adding a task to the running list:
- The task is short; it will take fewer than 20 minutes to complete;
- Or: the task will take hours — it’s a project, rather than a single task. If I decide that a task is really a project, I schedule a planning session for it immediately.
Procrastination: when you think you’ve beaten it, it returns
Yes, procrastination is sneaky. However, it’s also a good measuring stick. When you realize that you’re procrastinating, it’s a chance to assess what’s going on in your life.
Tara’s Enchantment – Regency Time Travel Romance, Book 1
A Regency time travel romance... What if you could escape across time, and find your soulmate?
Pure evil dispatches gorgeous Tara Ballantine across the centuries, to Regency England. Tara lands on Adam Jervoise, Earl of Hillingworth -- literally -- as he's riding through a bluebell wood.
Hillingworth is handsome, rich, and kind. He's also set to propose to an heiress.
When Tara realizes that she's falling in love with the earl, she fights the feeling.
More info →
Molly’s Magic – Regency Time Travel Romance, Book 2
At 24, not only is Molly Ballantine stunning, she has two sisters she loves, and a wonderful career. Then her eldest sister Tara vanishes, and her life disintegrates.
Molly's life is about to become even more chaotic. She wakes up in a brothel with a man who's too good-looking for her peace of mind.
More info →
Priscilla’s Destiny: Regency Time Travel Romance, Book 3
22-year-old Priscilla Ballantine wakes up 200 years in the past, naked in the arms of handsome aristocrat, and master spy, Dominick de Roche, Lord Bellemieux. Priscilla's accused of spying, and is in danger of summary execution. She can't help thinking that she wouldn't be in such a mess if Dominick de Roche hadn't mistaken her for one of his contacts...
More info →
Escape Across Time: Tara, Molly, & Priscilla (Time Travel Regency Romance Trilogy)
Love time travel romances and the Regency era?
More info →
