“What if you could say ‘goodbye’ to procrastination forever?” Believe it or not, there IS a way to do this!

You can literally say, “Bye!” it! Now that may sound “too simple”, but it really IS that simple: simple but very effective! What I’m suggesting is that you learn to “outsource” it.

Try this 3-step process to outsource, remove, and determine

Step 1: Get it out there!

Externalizing, in the therapeutic sense, means making a mental projection, in the form of an image, outside of oneself, and it is a counseling method that is used in Narrative Therapy. It is a very useful therapeutic “tool” to reduce self-blame and allows clients to create a space to rethink and restructure their own identity. Both therapists and counselors can tailor their use of outsourcing to a much broader spectrum, just as I do when I challenge your current view of “procrastination.”

We don’t usually call him by his name directly, more often we talk or think of him indirectly (ie “I should do this, but …” or “I can’t seem to get to that project, maybe later …” ) just to wonder “why” we can’t move on and achieve our goals. We know that “we hate him” and “we want him to go”, but it seems that surely we have not become great experts when it comes to saying goodbye forever.

So if you see “Procrastination” (now I capitalize it because it has become an “It” with a name!) As an entity outside of you … someone else or something else … it can be of great It helps to overcome the feelings of “I am a” bad “procrastinator” or something like that. When you outsource, you essentially release yourself from the burden because the “Procrastinator” or “Procrastination” is outside of you … NOT YOU! So that means the next time you find yourself struggling with time management and feel like procrastination is driving your actions, you can stop blaming yourself and sabotage your belief in yourself to change your behaviors. You are not “The Procrastinator” and “The Procrastinator” is not your identity! Period.

Maybe look at it like this: “I’m learning now that procrastination can no longer be in my life and that my decisions will no longer be made for the benefit of procrastination! Make a mental picture of procrastination (create a specific vision in the eye of your mind) and watch procrastination literally walk through a door and out of your life. “

Externalizing “procrastination” allows you to release it and release the inner grip it once had on you. Procrastination no longer has to be your resident arch enemy. If you try to see it as separate from yourself, you can start to gain the upper hand, free of the frustration it brought with it. But the work doesn’t stop here.

Step 2: remove resistance

Once you decide to release it, you must begin to eliminate its companion, which is the resistance. Much of your procrastinated behavior relies on ‘mental toughness’, so it makes sense to find a way to create room for a new mindset. You can even repeat Step 1 now and externalize “Resistance” (“That” now has a name too). Let it go out the same door as procrastination!

The bottom line is: you’ve been fighting two fierce opponents and it seems that the more either of us “resist”, the more we procrastinate, and the “Resistance and Procrastination” grows stronger, seemingly taking over our own existence. So how do you fight the Resistance?

Start using affirmations to help you break resistance. Use your words and create actions to achieve it. For example, you could say, “I am no longer allowing Resistance and Procrastination to take up space in my head and waste my mental energy”, or “I am seeing Resistance and Procrastination leave me now”, or it can take a little focus. different and say, “I’m free to choose Procrastination and Resistance as friends (or maybe teachers) so that I can learn more about why they stopped me and I struggled with them and myself to get things done.”

Also, to remove Resistance you must be very aware of its presence. It is misleading if you don’t pay attention. Resistance will make your body feel terrible. Any response you have to a negative feeling is your body’s attempt to send you the “red flag” that you are on the move. What you may or may not realize is that you can control your “stamina meter” and if you don’t want stamina, you can let your thoughts get the better of it. Again, use your words and say: “I feel anxious right now, and that tells me that Resistance is trying to get back to my life or my home. There is no place for you, Resistance. I am at peace here without you.” The more you say it, believe it, and feel it, the more your heart rate will slow down and your anxiety will begin to dissipate.

Taken one step further, resistance is a by-product of fear. Fear is not that easy to externalize, so we need to expand the search for answers by looking at the underlying fear that started your resistance and that resulted in allowing Procrastination and Resistance to rent space in your mind.

Step 3: determine your fear

Start wondering how you felt the last time resistance led you to procrastinate. Did you feel anxious, scared, confused, frustrated, angry? Think about this and really try to delve into the process of your procrastinated behavior. Step 3 is an important piece of this puzzle, so start by considering these three questions:

1. Am I afraid that others will reject me if I accomplish this goal or task?

2. Am I afraid that I don’t know all the answers, so it is better to lack initiative than to try and fail?

3. Am I afraid to let go of procrastination because it has protected me and if I freely give up something that has become valuable to me, will I not feel lost without it?

This should encourage personal introspection if you really want to search for the source of your fear. Remember: “Your fear is what led to your Resistance that allowed Procrastination.” It is never an easy process to look inward and become aware of negative emotions and behaviors. But if you begin this process by setting aside your identity as “The Procrastinator” or “A Procrastinator”, you have taken the first giant step in learning to “Externalize, Eliminate and Determine” your path to success!