How to Create Purpose and Direction in 2022: Part 4

When you first start creating purpose and direction, there is no greater nemesis than procrastination. Because when your motivation wears off, following your plan will feel hard and uncomfortable. And when following your plan feels hard and uncomfortable, it'll be realllllly tempting to want to put off following your plan.

Today you're going to learn what to do when the temptation to procrastinate arises so you can continue to lean in to your purpose and direction.

Overcoming procrastination requires three things:

1. Understanding why you procrastinate in the first place so instead of judging yourself and making yourself wrong for doing it, you know what's triggering it.

2. How to navigate on out of it when it does show up.

 

3. Reducing the odds that it shows up in the first place

You'll have the desire to procrastinate on your goals because goals require you to change (goals come from your higher brain). But you also have a lower brain and your lower brain's #1 job is to keep you the same. So when you start making a change, you''ll face a LOT of opposition from your lower brain.

This opposition sounds like, 

"Yeah but you've never done it before."
"Ugh, I don't want to"
"I never hit my goals."
"What's the point."
"It's too hard."
"I'll do it later."
"I'll get back on track tomorrow."

Opposition feels like,

Resignation
Helplessness
Low energy
Passive
Permissive
Dismissive
Comfortable
Familiar

When you feel that opposition, here's how to navigate out of it:

1. Remember that the desire to procrastinate is a very normal part of making a change.

2. Don't fight against it. Let those thoughts be there like they're a baby kangaroo hanging out in your mama kangaroo pouch. They're just along for the ride.

3. Tap into determination and commitment.

4. Follow your plan anyway.

5. Lean into what your future self who has this goal would do (see below on how to do this)

6. Check in and see if you've overcomplicated your plan. If it keeps feeling too hard to follow, don't quit. Make your plan easier and smaller and more clear.

Just know, when you keep with it and this change becomes your new normal, you'll notice the resistance lessen. Until one day, that change IS your new normal. You will face no resistance.

 

The BEST way to help reduce goal procrastination is to make your goal as clear, simple, and doable as possible. And to keep the vision of you hitting your goal top of mind. Daily.

Here's a recap of how to do that (days 1-3 of this series + a bonus): 

1. Pick ONE goal to work on at a time.

2. Create a very clear and simple plan to hit that goal. This requires a willingness to go slower than you think you need to and build habits. This will set you up so well for the rest of the year. Sustainability IS the goal.

3. Learn how to fail

Bonus: Create a vision board in Canva, take belief walks (visualizing and walking as that “new” person), and spend time in environments that you want to create for yourself (new cars/neighborhoods/coffee shops). The goal is acting and feeling as if you already have your goal, as often as possible.

This is an unbeatable combo when it comes to creating purpose and direction. Procrastination is no match for a well-managed, future-focused mind.

This is the work I do with my clients. If you're ready to feel purposeful in 2022 by creating your biggest, scariest goal and fully step into that vision, schedule a free consult. You can do that right here. 

 

Happy New Year!

Gretta