Introduction

Give to yourself an acknowledgement. Here you are right now, taking action. You are supporting yourself. Often, we need to experience something as a problem before we are moved to change. And here you are. Well done!

Procrastination does not need to be solved. Rather, by developing the habit of getting things done you make procrastination irrelevant. So don't think about how to solve it. Think instead of the ways by which you make it irrelevant. You don't need to defeat something. You simply need to act in ways where the label doesn't apply to you.

What you are about to discover is that it's all about habits, and not so much about willpower. At first, some willpower is necessary, and we'll talk about this as we go along. But the idea of willpower suggests that to be free of an unwanted habit means always and forever having to fight against yourself in some way. But this is not the case. As you establish the habit of getting things done, and feeling good about that, you'll find that willpower becomes less and less necessary.

In essence, it is an emotional learning, where you discover better feelings, and those better feelings become an automatic guide. And to get those better feelings, you can ease your way into it, rather than having to win a major battle.
As an illustration, consider two people who are physically unfit, and want to become fitter. Person number 1 decides to really "pull their socks up" — they're off to the gym for a long and hard workout. Person number 2 begins with a little jog and some stretches.

Person number 1 might have a sense of accomplishment after the hard workout. But when it comes times to do it tomorrow, there is a feeling of dread: what a big effort to make all over again! For person number 2, when it comes time to do it tomorrow, there is a feeling of it being OK, and not a big deal.

So in this example, the likely outcomes are: Person number 1 - tried at first with a big effort, but did not sustain the change (reinforcing some self-judgement of laziness or failure). Person number 2 - learns to have a good feeling about the workout, and enjoys a deeper well-being and satisfaction (reinforcing a sense of accomplishment and capability).

It's about teaching yourself how to have better feelings about getting things done, and in the process, changing old, negative self-judgements into more positive and supportive ones. Self talk plays an important role, but ultimately action is the only currency. You show to yourself that you can do it, and that you are doing it.

The big question is HOW? How to become free of an unwanted habit or tendency, and how to move into a more empowered and satisfying experience. And that is what this program is all about. So let's get into it.


© Copyright Glenn Chandler All rights reserved.
FORWARDS! Overcoming Procrastination

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