A Tip To Avoid Procrastination

Many suffer the problem of not doing what needs to be done WHEN it is supposed to be done.

• A proposal to be created well in advance of a deadline. 
• The tedious activity of going for that early morning walk when the mind is crying- go back to sleep.
• The music practice needs to happen even if one does not feel like it
• Sitting for the 10 min meditation when your inner voice is screaming that some crisis needs your attention.

Most times, we commit to taking the necessary action only when we feel a certain level of motivation.  

The source of our motivation is the positive emotional energy that we feel. We can call our positive emotion-inspiration- and it is what motivates us to take the actions we take.

We usually think of the relationship between our feelings and actions in this way.

I feel inspired –>I am motivated –>I take the desired action.

If we don’t feel inspired to do something, then what? Naturally, we will not feel motivated to take the necessary action, which is the root of all Procrastination. We defer doing what we have to do when we have to do it because we “don’t feel inspired” or “we don’t feel like doing it.”

Is there something we can do to escape this negative cycle?

The thing about motivation is that it is not some equation that starts with inspiration and ends with action. It is more a circular reference that goes like this.

If we reorient the same equation, we see that “action” in some way also results in the inspiration that is necessary to motivate us to take more action.

If we lack the motivation to commit to the action that needs to be taken -we just start by doing “something.” I call this the minimum viable action, some effort we can take without having to be inspired or motivated.

This is how it works for me.

• I don’t feel like going for my morning walk- My minimum viable action is wearing my sneakers. The act of wearing the shoes requires very little motivation, but it fuels the little inspiration necessary to motivate me for the walk.

• I don’t feel like writing my Blog for the day- My minimum viable action is to write 200 words without worrying about any theme, grammar, or publishing a Blog. The mere act of writing something creates the inspiration and the motivation for me to start working on my Blog.

So, the tip to overcome the pull of Procrastination is simply this- Do “something.” Commit to minimum viable action.