How to Overcome Procrastination with 3 Simple Words
Many of you know my insane schedule. Two jobs, full-time graduate student, wife, three kids, three dogs, one cat, Wealthy Affiliate, six… well, you get the picture. And If you are anything like me, there are probably times in your life that you simply feel overwhelmed. As you have probably experienced, when you are in such a state of mind, it is easy to fall into deer-in-the-headlights mode, right?
Often a person does not put things off because he or she is lazy. Procrastination is many times simply the result of having too much on your plate and not really knowing where to start.
“Begin with the End in Mind”
In his fantastic book, The 7 Habits of Highly Successful People, Stephen Covey suggests that we begin with the end in mind. In other words, look at where you wish to ultimately wind up and then reverse engineer your game plan. While this is great advice in general, there is a hidden challenge…
“You Can’t Do Everything”
The challenge to starting at the end is that it allows you to see the big picture. The biggest reason you might be feeling overwhelmed is because you are thinking about the entire process—start to finish—and it is simply too much to wrap your head around. So, before we can overcome the feelings of helplessness and procrastination, you have to understand one thing…
You can never do everything, but you can do anything… one thing at a time.
There is an old saying, but it’s true: how do you eat an elephant? One bite at a time. The easiest way to accomplish anything is to break it down into small steps (or bites.)
“Three Magic Words”
I learned this trick from fitness guru and author, Derek Doepker. The quickest way to overcome procrastination and get started fast is to ask a question that begins with three magic words…
“Can I just…?”
You simply pick something so ridiculously tiny that you absolutely cannot NOT do it.
While he usually uses this process for teaching couch potatoes like me about health and fitness, one example he uses appeals to us writers. Derek states, “Keep in mind that it’s important to pick a task that is so effortlessly small that you can’t help but to complete it. ‘Can I just write the first sentence of my next chapter?’ would be good. ‘Can I just write a four-hundred-page masterpiece this afternoon?’ would not be so good.”
By breaking any goal you might have into a series of small actions, you can overcome practically any obstacle you might encounter. You can’t help but to accomplish anything you want in life if you simply ask, "Can I just...?"
Feel free to post any comments or tips you might have for overcoming procrastination below.
Recent Comments
8
This is what I will have to do because the bigger scope of what I need to do is too big for me to grasp. Thanks James and Happy Christmas to you and your family
Thank you so much. Got a bit despondent today. And needed this to get up and go again.
All the best.
Michelle
Hi James and good post and I have learned that certain situations in life present you with a problem and Zi have also learned that to every problem there is a solution so all we do is find the solution!
Hi James, great blog. I had not heard of Derek Doepker before now. I like the approach Can I just..... I am going to try that. It does seem that it would make things easier to handle, as you said i small bites.
Thanks
Hi James really like that approach, think I mite build that into the routine. Thanks.
Alexander
Eating an elephant should be done one bite at a time.