Aargh..! A whole month since my last post. October just kind of disappeared.
But here I am at last and ready to make a commitment to blogging at least three times in November.Procrastination? Me!?
So, why no blog? I've been meaning to do it, after all. Do I suspect some procrastination? What me? A life coach? Surely not!
Yup, that's exactly what it is.
When I put something off, it's usually because I'm relating whatever it is I have to do with some kind of pain (even if I don't realise it). In this case, the pain of facing the fact that my blog is not being seen by a whole lot of people - so much techie stuff to learn!
So instead of getting on and facing it, I find something else to do.
Surprise! Life coaches aren't perfect! But thankfully I know what to do about it and it's crazily easy.
Banish procrastination in 5
I show my clients that however demanding their lives (and most are incredibly busy mums) they can stop procrastinating in about five minutes flat. The thing is, is that procrastination isn't an action, it's a feeling - a horrible, guilty, 'weighing down on your shoulders' feeling that makes you feel absolutely useless. But you can stop that feeling right now and never experience it again.
Really.
Obviously, the odd task can sneak through the net, like last month's blogging, but on the whole, I've pretty much banished procrastination from my life using this method. And so have many of my clients.
So, here's how.
5 easy steps
Step 1. Make a choice - are you going to do this particular job or are you not?
If the answer is NO, forget about it. Throw out the relevant piece of paper, pass the job to someone else, or do whatever you have to do not think about it ever again.
If the answer is YES, then…
Step 2. Decide when you're going to do. Decide how long it's going to take, and this is important - BLOCK IT INTO YOUR DIARY. If you have to move it because you've got swine flu or whatever, BLOCK IT IN AGAIN. Don’t just add it to your to-do list. This is an absolute non-starter for your favourite procrastinations. You'll just keep not doing them.
Step 3. Then, spend a little time re-associating the job you are currently associating with pain or fear, with pleasure. This way, you will genuinely want to do it. (Have you ever noticed, by the way, that you never, ever procrastinate on something you love doing?)
So for instance, if you're putting off, oh I dunno, fitting the draft excluder to the back door… Think about how warm the kitchen is going to be and how great you're going to feel when you've done it. Don’t let the fact that you're really busy, and have no idea how to do it, let you put off handling it for a moment longer. Focus on the pleasure, not the pain.
Step 4. Forget about it - this is so much easier now you know when you're going to do it.
Step 5. When the moment of truth arrives, as scheduled into your diary, remind yourself of all the pleasurable reasons you are doing this particular job - and just do it!
So. Here goes. I'm going to follow my own advice:
Step 1. Make a choice. Am I going to write my blog at least three times in November or not? YES!
Step 2. When am I going to do it? Umm… I'm getting my diary out now… here's 45 mins here …and here ….and here. Great. It's scheduled in.
Step 3. Associate the job with pleasure. Remind myself why I write my blog - because I love writing, because making meaningful connections with followers is fantastic and all the other many reasons why blogging is so much fun.
Step 4. Forget about it.
Step 5. Do it! Ooh, there goes my blog. Heading for cyberspace now. What a lovely, satisfied feeling.
Now, I just have to work out how to get more people to read it. Any tips?
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