Attention All Procrastinators: Let’s Get Real!

Nicole Carr

Photo by Jasmine Hunt , She Bold Stock

Hey there! I’m calling all procrastinators to the front of the room. This is for those of you who keep saying you didn’t go after partnerships or grants, or that you didn’t send those crucial emails because you just didn’t have the time or capacity. Why? Because you need to plan it all out first. Sound familiar?

Are We Just Hiding Behind Planning?

Here’s a thought: Are we using the "planning" phase as a clever excuse to procrastinate? Are we stopping ourselves from turning ideas into reality? Maybe it’s time to step back and look at the bigger picture instead of fixating on just one side of the equation.

Let’s Make It Happen!

Here’s my suggestion: Take just 10 minutes to do a brain dump of everything you need to accomplish. This is one of my favorite strategies! I go into "Do Not Disturb" mode and "Lock In" for 10 minutes. Usually, I start on paper to avoid distractions from endless searching and scrolling.

So, are you ready to stop procrastinating and start creating? Let’s make those ideas come to life!

For the next 10 minutes, I dive into categorizing my tasks into core pillars. This is where the magic happens! I break each pillar down into specific tasks and assign them deadlines that keep me on my toes.

Once I've got my tasks sorted, I hop onto Google Calendar to plug in these deadlines. By this stage, I've already mapped out my goals and brainstormed ideas, but hold on—there’s one more crucial step I take.

If my goal is to wrap up a task by April 2025, guess what? I’m not waiting until then! I push that deadline up to March.

That's right! What was once an April due date is now a March target. Give this approach a whirl and see if you're using planning as a comforting blanket or a stuffie to hide your procrastination. Trust me, it’s a game changer!