If you haven’t seen Tim Urban’s Ted Talk on procrastination, it’s worth a watch. In it, he describes how procrastination works. His version is funnier, but the basic point is that normal people make rational decisions that help them get work done without panicking. Procrastinators, on the other hand, are at the mercy of their impulses until a deadline gets too close, at which point they panic and frantically put something together, at the cost of much stress and poor performance.

Unfortunately, many of life’s most meaningful activities, such as starting a family, pursuing a meaningful hobby, or starting your own company, don’t have deadlines. So, what’s a procrastinator with big dreams (and no deadlines) to do?

If there’s something you’ve been putting off that would make your life better, now’s the time to get started. Follow these tips to finally get going:

1. Make procrastination inconvenient or not fun. Let’s be honest one of the main reasons that we procrastinate is because it’s convenient for us to watch Netflix instead of focus on work or we get to sleep in instead of waking up on time and so in the moment if feels good but in the long run it doesn’t. So reminding yourself what the real consequence is and keeping that in the forefront of your mind so that it actually motivates you to take action before it’s too late

2. Create a POWERFUL "why- When you identify a strong reason for following through that "why" will give you the momentum and motivation you need to continue even when you're tempted to procrastinate. Really consider what is most important to you, what your values are, and what gives your life meaning. Once you understand your purpose in life, it’s hard to keep procrastinating when you could be achieving your dreams and making a difference.

3. Use the Seinfeld strategy- I heard about this in the book Atomic Habits and I think this is such a powerful tool for avoiding procrastination. This strategy, which Jerry Seinfeld explained to a young comic named Brad Isaac, is simple and powerful. Simply put grab a big calendar and hang it on the wall. For every day you work on your goals, make a X on the calendar. The next day, after you’ve worked, draw your X so it connects to the first X. Then, simply don’t break the chain and it's like a competition, but with yourself.

4. Get support -Having an accountability partner or coach can hold you to what it is that you promised you would do. Most of the time we find reasons to talk ourselves out of it or to make excuses but honestly, a coach and accountability partner can push you farther than where you push yourself and remind you why it’s important.

5. Tap into productivity-Get yourself a super high vibe and be ready to take on the project! One way that I like to do this is I like to get myself in an energetic state of being excited about what I’m approaching and I do this through emotional freedom tapping. If you’re sick and tired of doing the same things over and over feeling inspired by your project being frustrated that you can’t follow through or you do it at the last minute I have just a thing for you. You can get access to my EFT for productivity bundle that will help you increase your productivity and success. Access it here: https://nicolyawilliams.com/eft-for-productivity/