Today’s truth is one I have shared before—but apparently, I needed to hear it again myself: Procrastination does not disappear just because we may have already learned how to overcome it!
Lately, I have found myself back in that familiar place called overwhelm.
I have so many “knives in the fire” that I am no longer sure whether I am managing projects or running a very busy summer kitchen! 🔪🔥
I am:
📚 Promoting my new book, Declutter Your Home, Declutter Your Life
📧 Trying to make sure everyone on my email list is actually receiving my emails
💻 Creating social media posts and website content
🎤 Keeping up with speaking and Toastmasters responsibilities
💡 Entertaining new ideas that keep popping into my head
And, of course, there are still all the ordinary responsibilities of life!
At the same time, we are having a beautiful summer, and I do not want to spend all of it staring at a computer screen. ☀️🌻
I want to enjoy the sunshine, spend time with friends, attend summer events, walk outside, and appreciate the season before someone starts talking about pumpkin spice again! 🎃
😵💫 When Everything Feels Important
What happens when everything feels important?
Sometimes we become so overwhelmed trying to decide what to do first that we do…nothing!
We organize our lists.
We rewrite our lists.
We color-code our lists.
We may even clean the kitchen instead of doing the one task we know needs our attention!
That is procrastination wearing a very productive-looking disguise. 📝
The Forbes Coaches Council shared 10 practical ways to break through procrastination and get things done. I am adapting them to what I—and perhaps you—need right now.
🔟 Ten Ways to Move from Overwhelmed to in Motionhttps://www.forbes.com/councils/forbescoachescouncil/
1. 👣 Take the Smallest Possible Step
Do not tell yourself:
“I have to promote my entire book.”
Instead, say:
“Today, I will write one post.”
“I will contact one person.”
“I will work on my promotion for 15 minutes.”
Small steps create momentum.
You do not need to see the entire staircase. You only need to take the next step.
2. 🌟 Picture the Positive Outcome
Ask yourself:
What will completing this task make possible?
For me, promoting my book means helping more people create peaceful homes, clearer minds, and room for their next chapter.
Making sure my emails are being delivered means staying connected with the people who chose to be part of my AGE-GILITY community.
Remembering the purpose behind the task makes it feel more meaningful.
3. 📅 Give Yourself a Firm Deadline
“Someday” is not a date on the calendar.
Choose a specific day and time for the task.
Schedule it just as you would schedule:
🩺 A doctor’s appointment
🤝 A business meeting
🍽️ Lunch with a friend
Although I admit, lunch with a friend is usually much easier to keep!
4. 💗 Be Kind to Yourself
Calling yourself lazy, scattered, or undisciplined will not inspire you to begin.
Instead, say:
“I am feeling overwhelmed, but I can start where I am.”
That is what AGE-GILITY is all about—adjusting, realigning, and flowing forward without beating ourselves up.
We need encouragement, not criticism.
5. 🔍 Discover What You Are Really Avoiding
Sometimes we are not avoiding the actual work.
We are avoiding the feelings connected to it.
Ask yourself:
❓ Am I afraid I will make a mistake?
❓ Am I confused about the technology?
❓ Do I worry that my work will not be good enough?
❓ Is the task simply too large and undefined?
In my case, trying to understand email systems, mailing lists, and those mysterious algorithms can make cleaning out a basement look relaxing! 📧🫣
Naming the real obstacle helps take away some of its power.
6. ⏰ Turn Off Distractions and Set a Timer
Put the phone down.
Close the unnecessary computer tabs.
Turn off notifications.
Set a timer for just:
⏱️ 10 minutes
⏱️ 15 minutes
⏱️ 20 minutes
You do not have to finish everything.
You only have to begin.
Focused time is often more productive than hours of distracted effort.
7. 🤝 Find an Accountability Partner
Tell someone what you plan to accomplish.
Your accountability partner might be:
👭 A friend
💼 A coach
🎤 A Toastmasters colleague
👥 A mastermind partner
📱 Your social media community
Sometimes knowing that someone will ask, “Did you do it?” is exactly the gentle nudge we need.
8. 🎉 Reward Your Progress
After completing a task, give yourself something enjoyable.
You might choose:
🚶♀️ A walk outside
☕ A cup of tea
🌷 Time in the garden
📖 A chapter of a good book
☀️ An afternoon enjoying summer
Rest and pleasure are not things we must earn every second of the day, but celebrating progress helps reinforce the habit of taking action.
9. 🛋️ Schedule Your Procrastination
This one may sound funny, but sometimes we need to give ourselves permission to pause.
Take 15 minutes to:
📱 Scroll
💭 Daydream
🪟 Stare out the window
😌 Do absolutely nothing
Then, when the time is up, return to your priority.
A planned break can be refreshing.
An unplanned three-hour disappearance into social media usually is not!
10. ✅ Choose a Few Daily Non-Negotiables
Do not create a list of 37 priorities.
When everything is a priority, nothing is.
Choose one to three actions that truly matter today.
My list might include:
📚 Complete one book-promotion task
📧 Resolve one issue with my email list
☀️ Step away from the computer and enjoy summer
That is enough.
Progress does not require completing everything at once.
✋ Add Mel Robbins’ Five Second Rulehttps://www.melrobbins.com/book/the-5-second-rule/
Mel Robbins teaches that when you feel yourself hesitating, count backward:
5…4…3…2…1—and move!
The countdown interrupts hesitation and helps you take immediate physical action before your thoughts talk you out of it.
📄 Open the document.
☎️ Make the call.
✍️ Write the first sentence.
📧 Check one email setting.
👟 Put on your walking shoes.
However, the Five Second Rule does not mean you will finish the entire project in five seconds.
It means you will stop negotiating with yourself and start.
💡 Tuesday Truth
Procrastination is often not a sign that we do not care. It may be a sign that we care about too many things at once.
The answer is not always to push harder.
Sometimes the answer is to:
🛑 Pause
🎯 Prioritize
👣 Choose one small step
✋ Count 5-4-3-2-1
🚀 Begin
📧 Are You Receiving My Monthly Emails?
Please make sure you are subscribed to my monthly AGE-GILITY email.
I am working to ensure that everyone on my list is receiving my:
✨ Monthly inspiration
📚 Book news and promotions
💡 Tuesday Truths
🏡 Decluttering tips
💪 AGE-GILITY health and lifestyle encouragement
After subscribing, please watch your inbox—and check your spam or promotions folder—so we can stay connected.
Therefore, let us work through procrastination together, one small step at a time.
Because we are not living unless we are growing—and sometimes growth begins with simply getting started.
5…4…3…2…1—move forward with AGE-GILITY! 🚀✨
Bye for now!
Leave a Reply