Simple Strategies for Overcoming Procrastination
The Art of Getting Things Done Now

Welcome to Module #2 of the Common Thread Success Academy coaching program on “Simple Strategies for Overcoming Procrastination.”

According to psychologist Clarry Lay, a prominent writer on procrastination, he says that procrastination occurs when there’s:

‘A time gap between intended behavior and enacted behavior.’

Many successful people had to overcome procrastination and some even battle it almost daily.  One of those people is Ian Grocher, better known to music  and sports fans as DJ Irie – the official DJ of the Miami Heat.  Although DJ Irie calls Miami home, it is impossible to miss him on the national scene.  He has made several appearances on Good Morning America, is the official DJ to Jamie Foxx, member of the 2008 Pepsi DJ Division with performances at MTV’s Total Request Live, the Nickelodeon Teen Choice Awards and the Halftime show at the Orange Bowl for three consecutive years.  The list goes on and on.  DJ Irie knows no boundaries. His passion and energy has captivated the entire industry. He has been nominated for a BET Award and voted Best DJ by the Miami Herald.

Listen to what he has to say about stopping procrastination dead in its tracks in this exclusive candid interview with Jerry Gladstone, success coach and author of The Common Thread of Overcoming Adversity and Living Your Dreams.

 

When we are procrastinating, we fill this in-between time with behaviors that reflect three clear warning signs.

Let’s look at what these warning signs are.

Print out Worksheet #3 – Warning Signs of Procrastination

Review the summary below on The Signs of Procrastination and take notes on the worksheet of what points resonate with you most.

The Warning Signs You’re Procrastinating

How do we know when we are procrastinating? Here are the three bona fide warning signs to be aware of.

1. Indulging in Distractions

We turn away from getting important tasks done by indulging in ‘feel-good’ distractions that include things like:

• Sleeping, such as taking naps or sleeping in late
• Watching TV or movies
• Aimlessly web-surfing
• Reading books
• Playing video games
• Snacking
• Going out with others

2. Making Excuses

We use an excuse as a reason not to do something.

Here are some common excuses we call upon:

• I had a rough week, and I need a break.
• I lack inspiration right now.
• I need more [insert your favorite excuse e.g. money, resources, research, time] before I can do it.
• I have too much going on right now.

3. Feeling Despair

We give in to the despair we are feeling that has resulted from the 1) distractions we indulged in and 2) the excuses we’ve made. “Why me?” becomes our mantra.

Here are some common despair questions we start asking ourselves:

• Why is life so unfair?
• Why are things always so difficult?
• Why did I have such bad luck?
• Why can’t I be more organized?
• Why don’t I take more initiative?

If you can relate to any of these warning signs, then you are procrastinating in a detrimental way.

Remember, these behaviors will only get you down, and when you’re down, you will feel a lack of energy to do much of anything, which will then make you feel even worse.

In the video below, Common Thread Success Academy Founder and International Best Selling Author Jerry Gladstone shares openly about a time in his life when he experienced some of these very same thoughts and feelings and how he overcame those tough times and got back on track.

 

Procrastination is habit forming, so also be aware of the following:

• Even if you honestly intend to only put something off temporarily, this very act makes procrastinating easier to do the next time.
• Procrastination tends to make a task seem larger than it really is. The more you put off a task, the more intimidating it then becomes.
• Finally, endlessly thinking about doing something can become its own way of avoiding it.

Now that you are familiar with these three important procrastination warning signs, it’s time to assess which ones may be most prevalent in your own life.

Print out Worksheet #4 – Procrastination Warning Signs in My Life

Take the short assessment to help to determine which of the three procrastination warning signs might be prevalent in your life by reading through each of the statements and assign a value from 0 to 5.

“0” indicating the statement is not true for you, and “5” that is it highly true.

Then, on page 2 of the worksheet, add up your point values according to the statement groupings.

When you have completed the activity, return to this module.

To complete this module, answer the questions below.

• Which of these warning signs was most prevalent for you?
• What surprised you about your results?
• Which of the three procrastination warning signs do you think would be most difficult to overcome?
• What ideas can you think of for how any of these three procrastination warning signs can be diminished?

Continue to Module 3