Procrastination + Survival School for Associates Webinar

Procrastination is a totally normal human behavior. But procrastination often gets in the way of us managing our calendars and to-do lists the way that we want. So you might want to do less of it.

If so, you’ve got to understand what’s happening in your head and how to shift it.

Despite what your brain is telling you, you probably don’t actually work better under pressure. You probably don’t actually do your best work when a deadline is looming. 

Here’s what’s typically happening instead when you’re procrastinating.

Humans avoid negative emotions at all cost. 

We procrastinate because we are trying to avoid the negative emotion we will have if we do the thing. 

Then, at some point, the negative emotion that comes from NOT doing the thing becomes worse. So to avoid that emotion, we do the thing.

Your brain wants to avoid threats, but it doesn’t understand that neither the work nor the deadline are actual threats. 

It doesn’t recognize that the only threat is that you might have to feel some negative emotions. 

The negative emotions come from thoughts like these. 

During the procrastination phase:

-This project is too hard. 

-If I mess this up, I’m going to get fired.

-I don’t know where to start. 

-I hate this. 

During the fire drill phase:

-If I don’t meet this deadline or get this done, [X terrible thing is going to happen]

You probably don’t work better under pressure. I’d be willing to bet on it. 

You work better if you give yourself plenty of time to: think it through; plan fully; outline; research; set the thing down and come back to it with fresh eyes; be creative. 

AND procrastination robs you of joy. You are never just procrastinating. You are also (1) thinking mean thoughts about yourself because you are procrastinating and (2) unable to be present because you are worrying about not having done the thing in the back of your mind.

There is no net benefit to the procrastination doom cycle. Stopping it will require rewiring your brain. Learning to think differently and intentionally. Learning to motivate yourself differently. Learning to allow negative emotions to exist and taking actions anyways. 

Come hear more about how at my FREE webinar on Managing Your Calendar and To-Do List - October 17 at 1pm EST. 

Link to register is here: https://mailchi.mp/jenndealcoaching/survival-school-for-associates

This is the first webinar in my Survival School for Associates series. You can learn more about that webinar series and pick up my free 6 Survival Skills for Associates at that same link.