Why is it so hard to take action?

Why is it so hard to get even the most simplest tasks done? I believe it is not always laziness, lack of motivation or being too much of a perfectionist. Instead I think that our mind’s way of protecting us from feelings like rejection, failure, embarassment and stuff like that. Our brain is “programmed” to protect us from those sort of feelings and the result, we create excuses and postpone tasks. By making excuses we convince ourselves that delaying something until tomorrow is okay or even that it is not important at all. Sometimes I also struggle with this too, but I am always working on improving it. The first step? Acknowledge the problem.

How to Acknowledge it?

Once you recognize the problem it is impossible to overlook it. Procrastintation often disguises itself in everyday habits such as:

• Mindless distractions – We all say at least once a day that we will be on our phone for 15 minutes, only to realize an hour has passed and suddenly it feels “too late” to do it and you postpone it to tomorrow.

• Relying on others – Putting off responsibilities because you assume someone else will eventually do them. For example, leaving dirty dishes in the sink until a family member gets frustrated enough to wash them.

Acknowledging this patterns is the first step toward change!

How I try to cope with it?

Here are some techniques I use to put past procrastination and take action:

1. Create urgency in your mind.
   • I convince myself that if I do not do the required, something terrible will happen. This mindset shift makes me do my stuff faster and without hesitation.
2. Set clear rules for rewards
   • I do not let myself use my phone or watch TV until I have completed my task. Once it is done, I can enjoy my free time as much as I want. It is almost as I need to earn my free time and when I do, I reward myself with phone or TV or whatever I feel like.
3. Turn tasks into habits.
   • Additionally I like to turn certain duties into habits, so that it does not feel like an obligation but rather a basic day to day routine. For instance I like to wash my dishes immediately after eating so that they do not pile up throughout the day.

Conclusion

Even though I have not yet mastered taking action everytime, I am actively trying to improve and acknowledge where I lack of disciplin and strive for progress – not perfection. I like to remind myself with this quote:

“I never have to be the best but I always have to try to be my best” – Sean Swarner