TMS #028: Life is too short to wait

Read time: 4 minutes

Procrastination comes in many forms, but at its core is the feeling that we don't deserve to be happy or satisfied. It's a self-critical voice that tells us we're not good enough, smart enough, or deserving of success.

In reality, putting things off is a way to avoid failure, disappointment, and feelings of not being good enough. In this article, you'll learn how to stop procrastinating and live a fulfilled life today.

Admit that you're a procrastinator

Before you can overcome your procrastination, you need to admit that it's a problem. If you think of yourself as someone who always gets things done on time, this article isn't for you. But read on if something is holding you back from achieving your goals and dreams, whether work or personal projects!

I'm sure most people reading this have experienced times when they've put off something meaningful until the last minute (or even after). It could have been a project due at school or work, or it could have been cleaning out an old closet or putting old photos in order. Even making plans with friends might have seemed like too much work. It may seem silly, but I know how it feels: there are so many things we could do right now, but we don't because they seem too complicated or too much (or both).

Identify the things that you delay and why you keep putting them off.

To overcome procrastination, you need to identify the things you delay and why you keep putting them off. It's easy to put off things we don't want to do.

For example:

• If dishes are in the sink, you might not like doing them right now because they're boring or annoying.

• If there's a pile of laundry waiting for you on your bed when you get home from work every day, you'll ignore it until tomorrow, when it feels more urgent.

Pick one thing from your list and start doing it.

The next time you feel overwhelmed by the laundry list of things you have to do, take a few minutes to focus on your tasks. Pick one thing from your list and start doing it. Don't try to do too many things at once, or else you'll get nothing done!

Once you've chosen an activity, write down the steps to complete it. So it doesn't get added to the pile of things you haven't done yet (procrastination).

Do something small that will advance you toward your goal.

When trying to overcome procrastination, the best way is to start small.

Don't worry about the big picture or all the steps you'll need to take along the way. Focus on one thing at a time and do it well before moving on to the next step. It can be tempting to think about what you need to do to achieve your goal, but that's not how life works. Life is messy, and there will always be unforeseen obstacles along your journey. That's why it's essential to keep moving toward your goals and enjoy each step. Those steps add up to something bigger than any single task. They might even lead you through some unexpected doors.

List your priorities and get to do them in order.

Rank your tasks by importance, not urgency.

Rank your tasks by how long they will take to complete.

Rank your tasks by how much they will help you achieve your goals.

Use some help when needed.

• Get help from others, especially if you have trouble finishing projects or tasks on time. That may mean relying on family members or friends who are more organized than you are. Or that you hire someone like an assistant or a virtual assistant to help you manage your workload. This makes it easier to track everything you have to do in your life at any given time.

• Use an app like Toggl (or even Google Calendar) to record and account for every minute you spend working. That way, it's no more guesswork about how much work you've done in a given time.

• Use a timer (or your smartwatch).

Ask for a reward when you accomplish a task.

It's a proven fact that rewards help you stay motivated. When you accomplish a task, reward yourself. The price can be anything you enjoy, whether something small like candy or ice cream or something big like going on vacation with your family.

Another idea is to create a table with incentives. You do something good every day, such as reading for 30 minutes, and you get stickers for each task you complete that you can use for pleasure later in the week (such as going to a restaurant with friends).

Don't keep delaying life, do things now!

It's no secret that life is too short to wait.

We often hear this phrase, but do you know what it means? If you want to do something in your life, you should stop postponing it.

Instead of waiting for tomorrow, next week, or next year, do whatever it is now! Don't keep putting things off because they may not happen again in this lifetime. No one's dreams or goals will ever come true if they just dream about them forever, which isn't good enough.

Conclusion

It's time to stop procrastinating and begin living your life. The best way to do this is by taking small steps toward your goals and rewarding yourself when you accomplish them. You can also use the help of others, such as friends or family members, who will keep you motivated throughout this process!

Keep Evolving,

Christian Founder - MindtutorialFollow The Real Me on LinkedIn

Remember: You’re just one habit away!

TL;DR

Overcoming Adversity: The Importance of Resilience and a Can-Do Mindset

1. Admit procrastination is a problem

2. Identify things you keep putting off and why

3. Start small by focusing on one task at a time and breaking it down into steps

4. Prioritize tasks based on importance, time, and impact on achieving goals

5. Get help from others, use tools like Toggl, a timer, and a reward system to stay motivated

6. Life is short, don't keep postponing your dreams and goals, start doing them now.

PS: If you’ve found this newsletter helpful, join our MindLeader Community for daily insights on how to live a smarter, healthier and happier life (it’s free):

🗝️Tutorial of the Week🗝️

Whenever you’re ready, there are 3 ways I can help you:

1. Make better decisions here. (100+ 5star ratings)

2. Focus on your goals here. (100% money-back guarantee)

3. Promote your brand to 2,896+ subscribers by sponsoring this newsletter (Booking into April 2023.

This week’s newsletter is brought to you by Hypefury.

Hypefury is your secret weapon for dominating Twitter.

Grow a large and engaged audience with powerful automated actions such as:

• Automatic retweeting of your highest-performing tweets

• Auto-append which adds call-to-actions onto your best tweets

• Auto-DM which sends messages to those that interact with your tweets

Starting winning at Twitter here.

Share The MindLeader Secrets

Want to share this issue of The MindLeader Secrets via text, social media, or email? Just copy and paste this link:

https://the-mindleader-secrets.beehiiv.com/p/tms-028-life-is-too-short-to-wait

See you again next week!