There are countless articles that endeavour to explain why we procrastinate, and some offer a path to managing it. You could do little wrong in reviewing the work of Dr. Tim Psychl. More personally though, I wanted to focus on one specific area of value and offer an interesting reframe which has shaped the way I think about ‘beginning’.
I’m not going to talk to putting off doing the dishes, or getting a high from leaving high-pressure activities to the last minute. Interesting as both those behaviours are, I want to describe and reframe two very specific scenarios where we delay doing something that’s potentially of significant value for us, then deride ourselves for doing so. I know this isn’t marketing theory or strategic brand management (I promise, I’ll get to those topics in time), but it does clearly have an impact on how we work, and frankly, it has had a huge impact on me.
Scenario one:
You suddenly become aware that your day is filled with innocuous, easy to deliver tasks and time fillers that render the day both hectic yet, for the most part, unproductive.
Scenario two:
An idea you have is starting to grow in a way that fills you with dread. Bigger and bigger, and more grandiose, the idea of actually making it happen has now become daunting.
The latter lends itself to taking you through the former, though you may not have acknowledged the connection. Regardless, the very human thing to do in both situations is to beat ourselves up for not starting. I’ve even found myself of late in the ridiculous situation of beating myself up about the fact that I’m beating myself up. I know! It’s insane, but it’s not uncommon. It’s human to criticise ourselves - all too often it’s human to criticise others too. However, there simply is no value in being unkind to ourselves, or beating ourselves up. We wouldn’t do this to our children. We probably wouldn’t do it to our friends (OK, sometimes, but hopefully in a lighthearted ‘good bants’ kind of way). But we do it to ourselves and that’s where we need a reframe. Procrastination is a human condition and to that end, entirely normal. So, instead of criticising ourselves, we actually need to take a moment to praise ourselves for noticing our own perfectly understandable, albeit irrational, behaviours.
take a moment to praise ourselves for noticing our own perfectly understandable, albeit irrational, behaviours.
In both situations we are procrastinating for a reason. Whatever it is we’re putting off is clearly something of value. Something of worth that could really make a difference. However, our brains do their damndest to save us from these scary scenarios, pulling out all the tricks in the book to help us avoid what we imagine will be challenging and potentially painful. In both situations, fear of future events, such as what others might think, what may or may not happen, whether it will or will not work, are getting the better of us, but we needn’t be afraid. Equally, we’re not being lazy, so thankfully we can put an end to the self-flagellation.
Actually, if we’re noticing either of the above situations, it’s time to celebrate. It’s time to congratulate ourselves. We’re on to something, and something big! The more pronounced the effects, the greater the fear and, more often than not, the more valuable the idea we’re delaying. So, as often as we’re able, we need to spot it, name it, and then most importantly, reframe it - this is not a bad situation. Quite the opposite, this is an opportunity!
So, what to do with this opportunity. The trick is to stop thinking about the future; to pour ourselves into the now. What’s the very first action that we can imagine completing easily? Focus on that, and only that. There’s immense power in defining the first or next action as something we can see ourselves completing easily. If the first action still feels hard, we need to pull it apart until we get to an action we’re able to see as ‘100% doable in the now’.
What’s the very first action that we can imagine completing easily? Focus on that, and only that.
But what if, in the second scenario, there appears to be huge value in the rich ideas we amassed as we conjured up our grandiose vision? Interestingly, the process of simply starting usually shapes and refines these later concepts, ready to be brought to the fore when they’re mature enough to be actioned. What’s more, only the most salient and powerful ones typically cut through, so if an idea’s gone, I think we can all take some solace in the belief that it simply wasn’t its time.
All the above said, I keep coming back to a sense of optimism; approaching everything both realistically yet positively. The thing about optimism though, is that it requires energy. All of the above - the spotting of the behaviour, the reframing it as an opportunity and the defining of that first do-able win - they all require energy and space to reflect.
So, perhaps above all, if things aren’t getting done, and its driving us a bit nuts, maybe it’s time to take that cup of tea outside, get some fresh air, pause a while to reflect, and smile. Our best work is just ahead of us.
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