You're Procrastinating Like This and You Never Knew It!

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Let’s talk about it.

I’ve been doing better at reviewing my weeks and talking more about the things I do in my journey.

Even though it’s been three months I still have that urge to be way ahead.

At the same time, I’m always reminded to be patient and focused.

When I think back to this time last year, I was a professional at sitting at my desk.

I confused progress with procrastination.

And I don’t mean I just sat there for hours while I scrolled or stared out at my window.

I would spend more time on useless stuff or things that wouldn’t elevate me.

Tweaking a website with no direction was one of them.

Making notes on Etsy SEO with no marketing plan was also one of them.

We all have different levels we go through, but essentially it’s elements of distractions that stray us further away from our intended goals.

The stuff that really makes you grow, develop or make money.

I’m aiming for all three, which is why now I’m in a better position to understand how I procrastinate and what to do to limit it.

For you it might be these:

• Perfectionism.

• Overplanning.

• Last-minute scrambling.

Once you know how you procrastinate, you can start to fight back and take charge of your progress.

While I cue the Mortal Kombat music, I want you to identify your procrastination character as we go through the different types.

These will essentially reveal the elements that halt your progress.

When I fell into multiple categories, I understood that it was important to find a solution to each one rather than focusing too much on the problem.

We’re humans in the end, so life in general is one big distraction.

It’s up to you to decide how much of it you let affect your goals and aspirations.

Allons-y (Lets go)

1. The thrill seeker.

You push it to the last minute.

You pretend pressure fuels performance, not panic.

In the end, you don't perform at your best.

Progress and potential are left on the table.

“Pressure makes diamonds.”

A saying I used to always think was valid, until I realised that diamonds are made under sustained pressure and time, not last-minute chaos.

Procrastination isn’t pressure. It’s avoidance.

When I had to revise for university exams or carry out training for work, thrill-seeking would definitely end in disaster for me.

Try this: 'Create' a deadline 24 hours before the real one. Make the promise to show up ahead of time.

This gives you time to tweak and identify anything that can be rectified and improved.

If you’re looking to deliver for a client or ship products out for your business, procrastinating until the last minute is the last thing you want.

Accountability beats adrenaline every time.

2. The multi-tasker.

You juggle multiple tasks at once.

You’re making moves, but nothing seems to get done.

I thought balancing learning both my languages would speed up the process, but it burned me out quicker than Usain Bolt.

Now I understand that Arabic has more priority as I struggle with it more. Instead of balancing both equally, I’m more intense with Arabic, hence having a tutor for it and keeping French as a secondary language.

While my brain moves at a fast pace, I used to jump from task to task and lose track of progress.

Nowadays our short attention spans give focus to quick dopamine hits or hype trends.

We don’t want to focus in on the boring tasks.

But that’s what truly moves the needle.

Try this: Pick a task, set a timer and give it your full focus.

By implementing the Pomodoro Technique, I’m able to lock in for that 25-minute period.

I’ll go longer if I need to, understanding that once I get it done in that period, I can go on to the next task.

As a multi-passionate, I fell into the trap of ‘doing the most at once.’

Switching doesn't speed you up; it slows you down.

3. The busybody

You're doing…

…something.

But the actual important stuff stays untouched.

Checking boxes, tweaking to-do lists, reorganizing my notes, watching productivity videos… but never actually progressing.

It was always high activity with low impact.

Being in motion felt good. It gave me the illusion of momentum.

But there’s a big difference between moving and moving forward.

I was just cleverly avoiding the pressure of doing the work that really mattered.

I never marketed my faceless content well, so I stayed busy tweaking a website when I should have focused on the content.

Now I focus on fewer things.

Try this: Identify the one task that actually matters today. The one that moves the needle or that gets you closer to putting the old you in the dirt.

Do it before you allow yourself to get distracted with 'busywork.'

Chase outcomes, not tasks.

It’s the things that will get you closer to where you want to be.

Instead of watching crocheting videos, just start.

Busy making gym plans? Just get yourself moving.

Spending too much time highlighting your business textbook? Write out key concepts and focus on understanding them.

Stop confusing productivity with progress.

4. The avoider

The tasks feel overwhelming.

You do everything in your power to not do it.

But you know it needs to be done.

I always used to avoid the stuff that was most important.

I’m talking about actually pressing ‘post’ rather than just saving to drafts.

Doing the easy language learning techniques like watching a series in French, but avoiding learning the vocabulary.

Even at the gym, I used to skip deadlifts because I hated putting the plates on. Truthfully, that compound workout is one that works multiple body parts.

You scroll, binge and mess about and now you've run out of time.

Try this: Commit to just 5 minutes, or better yet, ‘eat the frog.’

Once you get past the starting line, you're likely to carry on and keep working.

And don’t actually eat a frog! This concept is one that a lot of people advocate.

It’s a metaphor for tackling your most challenging task, which is likely to be the one that has the greatest impact on your journey.

It’ll be difficult, tedious and even damn near frustrating, but this psychological trick helps get you into the flow.

5. The perfectionist

You've got high standards.

Higher than the Burj Khalifa, so you'd rather do nothing than risk falling short.

You end up wasting time making things look aesthetically pleasing without getting the actual work done.

You’re focusing too much on the wrong things being perfect.

It took a while for me to see results in all my passions, but once I did, I realised that messy isn’t a bad thing if I’m able to elevate and improve.

Try this: Set a 'bad first draft' timer and get it done in 20 minutes.

Here you have your baseline.

You can tweak it later but try to at least get the outline and main aspects down.

Those who advocate perfection were never perfect to begin with.

The iPhone probably went through numerous amendments at the start.

Tiger Woods most likely never hit consistent ace’s (hole-in-one) when he started his career.

My whole journey is still a bad draft; I’m just showing up daily to make it a bit better.

Lower the standards, throw away that ego and just get started.

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The bottom line

Pressure can sharpen focus, but only when paired with preparation and intention.

When you procrastinate, you don’t build under pressure; you panic under pressure.

You rush.

You compromise quality.

You burn out.

Now I know you’re like me; you don’t want the journey to fizzle out and end before it’s even begun.

Once you identify your procrastination type (even if it’s multiple), you’ll get meaningful work done rather than mistaking endless hours for progress.

I still procrastinate.

The distractions are endless.

The doubts are ever present.

But by knowing what type I am, I can tackle what needs to be done.

The right frameworks make sure of that.

Your challenge for this week: Look at the time you spend doing things. Where does it go and can you utilise your time better?

For example, if you have an important task at hand, do you find yourself avoiding it or juggling around it with other useless tasks?

Stop confusing procrastination with power.

Start small.

identify the changes needed.

Show up daily.

Create your own controlled pressure, and let that shape you.

If you need some help with this or want to discuss it further, feel free to reach out on Instagram @liftlangleon.

Let’s cut the wasted time and move with purpose.

Till next time, peace.

LiftLangLeon