How To Overcome Laziness And Procrastination

If laziness and procrastination are holding you back in life, this is what you can do about it.

Procrastination does one thing and one thing only – it sabotages your productivity and robs you of your time.

The longer that you put important things off, the farther behind you will get.

Good news… procrastination is a habit, which means that it can be broken!

If you want to know why you struggle with procrastination and tips for how you can overcome it, you'll want to read this…

Watch the video below:

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Do you want access to rituals that will help you stop procrastinating and start getting more done on a daily basis? CLICK HERE to get your FREE Morning Ritual Cheatsheet! 

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Is there a difference between laziness and procrastination? 

The answer is yes! Procrastination is the habit of delaying an important task, whereas laziness is the unwillingness to act. However, there is one commonality amongst these two behaviors – a failure to take action. You know you should do something, but you're simply not doing it.

The knowing piece is what creates internal suffering for a lot of people. In his book, The Procrastination Equation: How to Stop Putting Things Off and Start Getting Stuff Done, Dr. Piers Steel says that self-awareness is a key part of why procrastinating makes us feel so awful.

When we procrastinate, not only are we aware that we are avoiding a task, but we also know that it will result in negative consequences. Nevertheless, we do it anyway.

We all procrastinate from time to time. However, when it becomes a chronic habit you have to put yourself in check. Tatiana and I want to share our best tips for how you can overcome laziness and procrastination and start getting more done. Let's dive in!

1. Link Pain To Not Taking Action 

The reason why a lot of people procrastinate is that they link pain to a task. For example, let's say that you know that you should work on your online business. However, because you're so overwhelmed with where to start, you end up avoiding the task altogether.

To avoid the pain of overwhelm, you decide to scroll on social media or binge Netflix shows for hours on end. You're merely attempting to distract your mind. Essentially, you're doing anything to avoid the pain of the task that you know you need to focus on.

A great way to overcome laziness and procrastination is to link pain to not taking action. What is the negative consequence of not working on your online business? Most likely, you'll experience the pain of disappointment. You'll be letting yourself down, which will reduce your self-confidence.

Maybe the pain means that you will continue to be held back financially. You will have to continue working a 9 to 5 job that you hate. Your desire to create financial freedom will remain a dream and nothing more.

Figure out what it is that you are not taking action on and ask yourself – what are the consequences of doing nothing? The truth will set you free. The more pain that you can link to not taking action, the greater the likelihood that you will overcome procrastination.

Use your pain as motivation. Pain is a great short-term motivator. However, the best long-term motivator is pleasure. You also want to link pleasure to doing what you're procrastinating on.

What is the pleasure that you will receive from taking action?

Let's go back to the example of building an online business. The pleasures you receive may be in the form of finally quitting your 9 to 5 job and creating passive income.

Maybe it will mean that you have the freedom of time to travel, take up new hobbies, or spend more time with your loved ones. Once you've mastered the pain/pleasure principle, it's all about building momentum as you continue to take massive action.

2. Have a Vision For Your Life 

Creating a vision for your life is a powerful way to overcome laziness and procrastination. A vision gives your life a sense of purpose and direction. Once you have a vision, you have a compass. You know where you want to go and you are inspired to take action to get there.

The reason why a lot of people procrastinate is that they don't have a strong ‘WHY' or a clear focus on what they are trying to achieve. When you have a vision for your life you are motivated to make that vision a reality. There are two types of motivation – push and pull.

Push motivation takes a lot of effort. It is only sustainable for a short period of time. Eventually, you run out of energy. Conversely, pull motivation is when you're pulled towards something. It doesn't require as much effort on your part because you want to do it.

When you're procrastinating, you're thinking small. It's important to think broader, which is where a vision comes into play. We encourage you to dream big! Make your vision so compelling and exciting that it makes you jump out of bed every day.

3. Set SMART Goals 

Once you know what your vision is, you can then set goals. The reason why a lot of people fail to achieve their goals is that they set goals that are too difficult to achieve.

This is why you want to make sure that your goals are specific, measurable, achievable, realistic, and timely. Doing so will ensure that you set yourself up for success.

Once you have set your goals, you want to work towards them. This will require that you break down your goals even further. We recommend creating a schedule that you adhere to on a daily basis. Jorden Peterson has a great video that we recommend you watch called Make a Damn Schedule.

He says that the important thing about a schedule is that you don't make it feel like you're in prison. The reason why a lot of people don't like setting schedules is that they don't want to put themselves into a box. You want to set up your day in a favorable way for YOU.

Review your goals and create a day that you'll enjoy and be proud of.

When you're scheduling your day, negotiate with yourself. Don't be a tyrant. There will be tasks that you have to do that you may not want to do. Get creative and figure out how you can link more pleasure to the experience of doing something monotonous. Trick your brain into enjoying the process!

Are you ready to take action to overcome laziness and procrastination?

These tips have helped me and Tatiana increase our productivity and reduce our laziness and procrastination. We hope that you will feel empowered to take action and implement these habits into your daily life.

If you have the desire to create financial freedom through building an eCommerce business, subscribe to Tatiana's YouTube channel and follow her on Instagram. Her content will inspire you to take massive action.

Don't let procrastination rob you of any more of your time and energy. Stop putting things off and start doing things that matter. What action step will you take today that will help you get more done in less time?

Do you want access to rituals that will help you stop procrastinating and start getting more done? CLICK HERE to get your FREE Morning Ritual Cheatsheet!