What Does Procrastination Say About You by Guest Contributor - Lauren Ivy, Holistic Business Coach
Did you know that procrastination is a tell? A little signal, that if you pay attention to and follow, will give you a host of helpful insights. So rather than being frustrated at your procrastination, try using it as an opportunity to discover the truth about what are you putting off and why. Here are some of the most common reasons for resistance:
Fear: It could be the fear of failure, the fear of success, or the fear of any change at all. But if you continue to stall on a new work project or personal undertaking, fear could definitely be at the core. If that’s the case, it’s time to take a closer look at what could happen on the other side of that fear. Ask yourself to imagine both the very worst and best-case scenarios. Pretty dramatic, right? This should help you see that the most likely and realistic outcome is somewhere in-between, so turn the page on your fear and take some action.
Perfectionism: Oh the sneaky way that the quest for perfection can subconsciously cause us to self-sabotage. If you find yourself in a never-ending state of reworking, fine-tuning, and/or over-analyzing, here’s my tough-love message for you: Just let it go. Do not let some unrealistic ideal of perfection get in the way of progress. I think you'll find that very good is almost always good enough.
No Desire: Sometimes the reason we don't do something is because, well, we just don’t want to. I know it’s not rocket science, but we often overlook or ignore the more basic reasons for putting things off. So here’s a (not-so) radical question: What if you just didn’t do it? Consider the option of taking it off your list altogether or maybe delegating it to another person or paid service. And then you can move on to the next thing, with a clear mind (and conscience).
Want the fastest way to beat procrastination and get an instant confidence and energy boost? Do the thing. Do the hardest thing or the easiest thing. Do the most fun or the most dreaded. Just do something. And that momentum will build, one task upon another, and you will surely find your groove.
Meet Lauren
Lauren Ivy is the owner of Open to Alchemy. She is a holistic business coach, helping current and aspiring entrepreneurs share their soul gifts through work. She loves showing clients how to combine their passion and purpose, using mindset/belief work, energy alignment, Human Design, and other personal development tools. She is the host of the Open to Alchemy podcast and is working on her first book.
IG: open.to.alchemy
Website: opentoalchemy.com
Podcast: Open to Alchemy