5 Steps to Go From Procrastination to Motivation

25 replies
1. Make success a habit. This isn't hard if you just do it. It requires you to become a doer by setting small goals you know you can achieve. For example, I created an exercise plan. I know how much time I have per week and how many days per week I can make this happen. Each week changes, but my plan of action is realistic to accommodate my lifestyle.


2. No more excuses. People who aren't motivated usually say some of the same things: â€Å"It’ll take too long.†â€Å"It’ll be too hard.†â€Å"It's not going to work.†â€Å"I’m too busy or I’m too tired.†We've all said it before. Write down what you hear yourself saying every time you think about getting started. Take a good look at your excuses and ask yourself if they are really true.Now ask yourself what you have to gain from achieving your goals. Write down your thoughts so that you can actually see the pattern here.


3. Positive Reinforcement. Reward yourself with something really good for achieving your goals, whatever they may be. This way, you motivate yourself in the beginning. Your reward might be a new pair of shoes (ladies), tickets to a game, or maybe some chocolate (my fave). This will help you take that first step - and the first step is often the hardest to take. Once you get on the track, just keep going.


4. Create your plan. Sometimes procrastination will creep in when we just don’t know where to start. Having a plan on how to achieve your goal helps you gain some control over the process and see where there might be potential hurdles. Also, it’s ACTION going forward so you sort of trick yourself into taking the first step. Once you have a plan in place, take immediate action.


5. Accountability. Get the support you need from a mentor, coach, family member, or friend, to push you if you need it so that you can be that highly disciplined and motivated person you need to be.

What do you do to stay motivated?
#motivation #procrastination #steps
  • Profile picture of the author Nassime
    To stay motivated, I created a morning routine (energetic exercise, meditation, breakfast...) in the aim to be available for my day.
    The interest to get a plan of your goal allows to be clear on the action, so I define any tasks in detail that I can apply during the day.
    At the end, I look that I realized and the points to improve for the next ;-)
    {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[10734128].message }}
    • Profile picture of the author CherylMoses
      This is a great routine. I haven't gotten my morning routine down yet so I'm a work in progress. It's definitely something I'll add to my list
      {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[10734682].message }}
  • Profile picture of the author boltzen
    I'll give it a shot, but it's hard to follow a plan for me, i just lack motivation.
    {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[10734175].message }}
    • Profile picture of the author CherylMoses
      It's surely not an easy thing for everyone. It took me a while to get to a place where I could stay motivated. Sometimes the people in your circle can help, if you're around the right people. Keep going and don't ever quit
      {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[10734690].message }}
  • Profile picture of the author Gallag97
    i think your mindset is initially what get you up and going. some people have it, some don't. i also think thats why some people are so successful and some aren't.
    {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[10735047].message }}
    • Profile picture of the author CherylMoses
      I agree. If you're not working on your mindset, you can forget about getting very far. It really is the key to having any type of success.
      {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[10736518].message }}
      • Profile picture of the author Matt Herich
        Originally Posted by CherylMoses View Post

        I agree. If you're not working on your mindset, you can forget about getting very far. It really is the key to having any type of success.
        It's true. I've been reading a lot about mindset and how it influences our actions every day. It's important to believe that you can better yourself or else every time you come upon a failure or any sort of impediment it will stop you in your tracks. I've been writing down my goals/daily thoughts at the end of the day and I've found that it helps me stay focused on what needs to be done to accomplish those goals. We all start out with this "growth" mindset (just think of a baby who falls and gets back up every time when they're learning to walk) but as we grow older we fall into the so called "fixed" mindset which artificially limits our willpower and motivation.

        If you want to be successful you need to first work on your mindset as Cheryl Moses stated and only after you have mastered your own mind will you be able to focus on and achieve your goals.
        {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[10736993].message }}
  • Profile picture of the author Odahh
    if you are a real procrastinator .. this list may not help .. this list is for those people who are no type a highly driven people ..but for people who usually will do enough to make money to pay rent and put food on the table and get some of the stuff they want and then get lazy ..

    real procrastinators go into party mode until fear and panic push them to action ..

    if you are a hard core procrastinator and trying to build a business..you have to mix the party into the business ..and hire adults to manage the parts you procrastinate on..

    so you advice..is very good for most people .. who procrastinate when they have done enough to look responsible ..

    for real procrastinators ..you have to master the use of fear and panic ..to push yourself to achieve ....

    ok suns starting to go down ..it may still be 111 degrees out ..but gotta work to pay rent ..so i don't end up homeless and losing everything ..

    hehe ..
    {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[10735260].message }}
  • Profile picture of the author Samsmiles
    Thanks CheriyI. If anyone is interested in how I cured my procrastination problem take a look here http://helpurself2success.com
    {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[10746260].message }}
  • Profile picture of the author Arjen231
    Great tips. My personal favorite is Competition (although you do not have it on your list). When you are in competition with someone and you really want to win then you are so unlikely to procrastinate - and I mean in a natural way. You sort of get pumped up naturally and the only thing you want to do is to make it.
    {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[10746465].message }}
    • Profile picture of the author CherylMoses
      That's a really good one Arjen231. I never thought about it that way. Hmmm... perspective. I like
      {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[10747480].message }}
  • Profile picture of the author Arjen231
    Here is the article https://www.millforbusiness.com/12-p...ocrastination/ - it has a prt dedicated to that competition thing I was talking about. You might want to glance.
    {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[10746473].message }}
  • Profile picture of the author wordsandthebees
    Originally Posted by CherylMoses View Post

    1. Make success a habit. This isn't hard if you just do it. It requires you to become a doer by setting small goals you know you can achieve. For example, I created an exercise plan. I know how much time I have per week and how many days per week I can make this happen. Each week changes, but my plan of action is realistic to accommodate my lifestyle.


    2. No more excuses. People who aren't motivated usually say some of the same things: â€Å"It’ll take too long.†â€Å"It’ll be too hard.†â€Å"It's not going to work.†â€Å"I’m too busy or I’m too tired.†We've all said it before. Write down what you hear yourself saying every time you think about getting started. Take a good look at your excuses and ask yourself if they are really true.Now ask yourself what you have to gain from achieving your goals. Write down your thoughts so that you can actually see the pattern here.


    3. Positive Reinforcement. Reward yourself with something really good for achieving your goals, whatever they may be. This way, you motivate yourself in the beginning. Your reward might be a new pair of shoes (ladies), tickets to a game, or maybe some chocolate (my fave). This will help you take that first step - and the first step is often the hardest to take. Once you get on the track, just keep going.


    4. Create your plan. Sometimes procrastination will creep in when we just don’t know where to start. Having a plan on how to achieve your goal helps you gain some control over the process and see where there might be potential hurdles. Also, it’s ACTION going forward so you sort of trick yourself into taking the first step. Once you have a plan in place, take immediate action.


    5. Accountability. Get the support you need from a mentor, coach, family member, or friend, to push you if you need it so that you can be that highly disciplined and motivated person you need to be.

    What do you do to stay motivated?
    I LOVE this post, thanks Cheryl!

    I am the world's biggest procrastinator (why do you think I'm here, I've got a pile of articles to write!!)

    I found an article a while ago which talks about the tools that you can use to stop electronic procrastination which I loved. Apart from the fact that there are some good tips, it made me realise that I'm not alone in my procrastination-ing ways!! I haven't used any though, I'd be too worried to block the internet for any period of time, what would happen if I NEEDED something

    https://www.simplyzesty.com/blog/art...rocrastination

    I hope they don't make an anti-procrastination tool for WF...
    {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[10746512].message }}
    • Profile picture of the author CherylMoses
      No you're not alone wordsandthebees! I'm a work in progress myself. You can never have too many tips for how to be more productive and get stuff done so I'll surely check out that article
      {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[10747474].message }}
  • Profile picture of the author BigFrank
    Banned
    The only thing I have ever needed to be strongly motivated was going to the mailbox and getting my bills that were due on the first of the month. That motivated me to the point of no longer having any bills to cover.

    Now I am motivated to learn new things and try the things I never had time for in the past.

    If you need to be motivated on a daily basis, outside the need for survival, you are probably not doing with your life what you were meant to be doing. Motivation is a byproduct of having zest for what you do in life.

    Cheers. - Frank
    {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[10746534].message }}
  • Profile picture of the author gingerninjas
    Get organised and plan, and be open to change and reworking your plans.

    The key for me is to understand priorities and be aware of what is urgent, non-urgent and then to be done at some stage. Project management is also essential, if you know when a project is going to be delayed or won't be delivered on time, don't dig your head in the sand. Be honest and set expectations so that you don't get bogged down and lose motivation.

    While my day is not always structured perfectly, I always ensure the day before I plan what I would 'aim' to get done, and then if it is not completed I make steps to communicate with clients so they are well aware of progress and manage their expectations.

    Thanks for your share.
    {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[10751928].message }}
  • Profile picture of the author VictorStep
    In my case nothing really helped me with overcoming procrastination until I found a real motivation. I don't mean for something particular, but a motivation in general, a reason to get up early in the morning. Before, everything that I did made little sense to me because I didn't care, and therefore was procrastinating as much as I could. When I finally understood that I want something from life, things to be done suddenly gained a whole new meaning. This wasn't an easy transition, but is definitely a proof that we can all change, as long as we really find some kind of meaning in life. Now I basically don't have any time to procrastinate, which is awesome. I actually wrote a whole blog post on how I solved my problem. If anyone is interested, here it is: http://gedground.com/stop-procrastination-today/
    {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[10819857].message }}
  • Profile picture of the author dmgwriting
    Great post!

    I respect the positive attitude.

    IMO putting a plan in place and sticking to it is key, that's consistency.

    I try not to rely on motivation, or use that term. Instead, I try to make these daily tasks a second nature. And get things done, even if I don't feel like doing them.

    I don't ignore motivation in a sense, but trying to be motivated 24/7 and amped up every single day is draining. I prefer to stay calm and relaxed in my every day work. If a big plan or task is coming up, or a stressful event, then I look to motivation.

    Listening to music and reading about my role models does the trick for me.

    My two cents.
    -David
    {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[10820799].message }}
    • Profile picture of the author CherylMoses
      Great two cents Listening to music should be on this list too because I love it and it works.
      {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[10828349].message }}
  • Profile picture of the author dennv011
    Originally Posted by CherylMoses View Post

    1. Make success a habit. This isn't hard if you just do it. It requires you to become a doer by setting small goals you know you can achieve. For example, I created an exercise plan. I know how much time I have per week and how many days per week I can make this happen. Each week changes, but my plan of action is realistic to accommodate my lifestyle.


    2. No more excuses. People who aren't motivated usually say some of the same things: â€Å"It’ll take too long.†â€Å"It’ll be too hard.†â€Å"It's not going to work.†â€Å"I’m too busy or I’m too tired.†We've all said it before. Write down what you hear yourself saying every time you think about getting started. Take a good look at your excuses and ask yourself if they are really true.Now ask yourself what you have to gain from achieving your goals. Write down your thoughts so that you can actually see the pattern here.


    3. Positive Reinforcement. Reward yourself with something really good for achieving your goals, whatever they may be. This way, you motivate yourself in the beginning. Your reward might be a new pair of shoes (ladies), tickets to a game, or maybe some chocolate (my fave). This will help you take that first step - and the first step is often the hardest to take. Once you get on the track, just keep going.


    4. Create your plan. Sometimes procrastination will creep in when we just don’t know where to start. Having a plan on how to achieve your goal helps you gain some control over the process and see where there might be potential hurdles. Also, it’s ACTION going forward so you sort of trick yourself into taking the first step. Once you have a plan in place, take immediate action.


    5. Accountability. Get the support you need from a mentor, coach, family member, or friend, to push you if you need it so that you can be that highly disciplined and motivated person you need to be.

    What do you do to stay motivated?

    thank you for your post CherylMoses...



    Originally Posted by Odahh View Post

    if you are a real procrastinator .. this list may not help .. this list is for those people who are no type a highly driven people ..but for people who usually will do enough to make money to pay rent and put food on the table and get some of the stuff they want and then get lazy ..

    real procrastinators go into party mode until fear and panic push them to action ..

    if you are a hard core procrastinator and trying to build a business..you have to mix the party into the business ..and hire adults to manage the parts you procrastinate on..

    so you advice..is very good for most people .. who procrastinate when they have done enough to look responsible ..

    for real procrastinators ..you have to master the use of fear and panic ..to push yourself to achieve ....

    ok suns starting to go down ..it may still be 111 degrees out ..but gotta work to pay rent ..so i don't end up homeless and losing everything ..

    hehe ..

    although I have to agree with Odahh about real procrastinators.

    Im not an expert in solving this matter but I know for one thing is that Im real procrastinator myself. (LOL ?)

    I have experienced a lot of it and its many forms of frustrations which made me really fall deeper into more... procrastination.

    I think its a really vicious cycle which is really hard to break.

    As a person, when we experience hardship then we are motivated to change, but once we improve our lives a bit better we slowly go back to our original default self, procrastinating.

    I want to share some of my personal experience in life and I hope that people will learn from my mistakes as well.

    1. I found out that I am only motivated whenever im going through tough situation. I think that this part is really important as this will be the starting point that will make the ball roll for you. I think its really important for you to want it so bad, that you actually started doing something for yourself.

    You see im the kind of person that gets contented quickly, adopts in my surrounding, likes to do things for others but never really motivated to do something for myself. I think as a person being at your lowest point in your life is your greatest opportunity to move forward.

    You see I was working for almost 12 to 14 hours a day before I started to feel bad about my way of living. That's when I started to feel envy towards other, that's when I started to want what other people had and that's what made me re-evaluated my life to find a better way to do things for myself.

    I wanted it so bad that I had tried to do everything I could to change my life.

    2. I'm also the kind of person who likes to plan things and think things through. Although I know its really important to plan ahead. Sometimes it makes things more complicated and if things doesn't look to well we hesitate for a moment and we loose our chance to start. I wish I had known before that it doesn't really matter how you start something, what matters is you jump into it, keep moving forward and reach your destination.

    I have this motto in life saying, Your achievements doesn't have to be great, you just have to succeed.

    3. Setting goals, I wish i had known that setting up small goals to achieve is another way for you to motivate to move forward. I think that succeeding in small achievements will make you want to take that "extra" step forward which may eventually be miles and miles of success for you. Setting goals doesn't have to be in the very beginning of your action, you can do it mid-way and you can always change it accordingly.

    I believe that once you succeed, you can just keep the ball rolling.

    4. I wish I had also known how important it is to find a community of like-minded people. Although its possible to succeed alone, its peers, friends, community and family that will remind you of your goals when the going gets really tough. I found out that making yourself accountable to others will also motivate you to keep tract on your goals whenever you get distracted and went astray. Also they will be the people who will talk about your success when you finally reach your destination which will motive you more to move forward to a bigger goal.

    Of course life isn't always about roses and daisies, sometimes unexpected things happen and it seems like Life likes to throw a lot of things at you. I guess what we can only do is try our best not to be hard on our self, we can only do so much in so little time and we only have one destination at the end the road. You can either live a life being contented, without worry or go blazing in the sun and be a dazzling figure we want to be. Either way success is only a status that society puts up so that we are motivated to move forward so we should stop comparing our lives to others, but I guess it doesn't really hurt to go along this journey in life with a few extra cash on our pocket..
    {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[10828112].message }}
  • Profile picture of the author William Wood
    <img class="theme1-twitter-icon" id="wpsfb-user-selected-twitter-img"> <img class="theme1-google-icon" id="wpsfb-user-selected-google-img"> <img class="theme1-pinterest-icon" id="wpsfb-user-selected-pinterest-img">
    <img class="theme1-linkedin-icon" id="wpsfb-user-selected-linkedin-img">
    Motivationalcity.com


    Staying motivated/positive all the time isn't easy, especially when times are tough believe me, I've been there it's very easy to start doubting life, looking behind you and thinking about what you COULD have done and that in turn makes you mad; mad at the problem? No... Mad at yourself because you created that problem from the wrongdoing of yourself and yourself only. But what you need to realize if you're going to have any type of positive outlook on life, is you have to figure out on your own that the past is the past and you can't change it. All of those failures made you who you are today and today is the only thing that can change tomorrow.
    These 3 tips are to be said every morning.
    #1 I'm not going to look back on my past failures simply because they are not doing anything for me except causing me pain.
    #2 I need to realize that I'm the only one that can cause myself to succeed or fail no one else.
    #3 I need to start my day off with a positive note because if I start my morning off with negativity, then its likely ill be that way for the rest of the day.
    It's very hard once you're in that negative mindset to come out of that state of mind but, it is possible. That's all you need and once you truly install these steps into your brain you will be a happier more motivated person.
    {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[10830298].message }}
  • Profile picture of the author james flynn
    Originally Posted by CherylMoses View Post

    1. Make success a habit. This isn't hard if you just do it. It requires you to become a doer by setting small goals you know you can achieve. For example, I created an exercise plan. I know how much time I have per week and how many days per week I can make this happen. Each week changes, but my plan of action is realistic to accommodate my lifestyle.


    2. No more excuses. People who aren't motivated usually say some of the same things: â€Å"It’ll take too long.†â€Å"It’ll be too hard.†â€Å"It's not going to work.†â€Å"I’m too busy or I’m too tired.†We've all said it before. Write down what you hear yourself saying every time you think about getting started. Take a good look at your excuses and ask yourself if they are really true.Now ask yourself what you have to gain from achieving your goals. Write down your thoughts so that you can actually see the pattern here.


    3. Positive Reinforcement. Reward yourself with something really good for achieving your goals, whatever they may be. This way, you motivate yourself in the beginning. Your reward might be a new pair of shoes (ladies), tickets to a game, or maybe some chocolate (my fave). This will help you take that first step - and the first step is often the hardest to take. Once you get on the track, just keep going.


    4. Create your plan. Sometimes procrastination will creep in when we just don’t know where to start. Having a plan on how to achieve your goal helps you gain some control over the process and see where there might be potential hurdles. Also, it’s ACTION going forward so you sort of trick yourself into taking the first step. Once you have a plan in place, take immediate action.


    5. Accountability. Get the support you need from a mentor, coach, family member, or friend, to push you if you need it so that you can be that highly disciplined and motivated person you need to be.

    What do you do to stay motivated?
    Personally, I get rid of any possible distraction that could disrupt my work flow.It includes checking out Fb's newsfeed, watsapp messages, youtube .....and the list goes on. When I decide to do something I totally commit myself with that particular task and then reward myself with a little treat when I accomplish it within a time frame.
    {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[10831877].message }}
  • Profile picture of the author laraku
    I don't know why but what helps me to stop procrastinating and to start working is to clean my home office, throw away clutter, move my desk or re-arrange some other furniture. I then take a shower and come out feeling so ready to do serious work!
    {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[10853398].message }}
  • Profile picture of the author yellowmedia
    I get motivated and stop procrastinating whenever I start wanting things! Just walking around a home furniture shop motivates me to work more so I can afford a better bed or remodel my bathroom.
    {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[10853671].message }}
  • Profile picture of the author Terminus
    Excellent post, OP!

    Point #5 was particularly great. I think one of the best things one can do is to ally yourself with others who will hold you accountable.

    I recently took a online course where we had to submit both group and individual projects on regular basis, and for each project we had to hold each other accountable for our success, and encourage each other to push further than we normally would. One of the things that kept me going was tan element of shame; I couldn't stand the idea of being the "loser" in the group.

    Somehow, perhaps unconciously, we can fall into the mental trap of becoming okay with the idea of letting ourselves down. But when I was part of an accountability group, the idea that I would be letting my peers down was just too much. I pushed beyond the point where I would normally let myself off the hook. I think the same principle is at work in mastermind groups.

    Anyway, great stuff, CherylMoses.

    Cheers,
    Joe
    {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[10853724].message }}

Trending Topics