5 Things I Do To Procrastinate

Oh look, a butterfly… and there I go. Does this sound like you? Are you easily demotivated to start something and create ways to procrastinate? I sure do. Here are the 5 things I do to put off starting on a new project or task that I was so excited to create:

1. Second Guess Myself

That’s not a very good idea. Are you sure that’s the right thing to do? Maybe work on it some more. These voices sound familiar? What if we just went for it? One of my coaches says, “dare to know, just go”. The longer we wait and sit on things the louder these voices get and the more power they have over us. Stop listening and start going for it!

2. Shame Myself

Who do you think you are? You’re not an influencer. People are just going to laugh at you. Who are you kidding? That’s a dumb idea Eve. And now that I feel like an idiot, I’m in no mood to create. I’m done with that pity party. Of course I’m worthy of creating the life I want and I want to share it with everyone. I want everyone to know that they can live a fulfilling life filled with joy and abundance. Get lost shame, it’s time for some commitment to myself.

3. Go to the Fridge

Alright, before I start, I’m going to grab a quick snack. I head to the fridge. Perhaps I just grab some leftovers. Hmmm, nothing is standing out. What’s in the freezer? I know, I can make up a little snack board. Having some prepared snacks on hand may be a better approach and more efficient use of time. Plan ahead to prevent the stalling.

4. Distract Myself

Did I start the dishwasher? Oh, I need to throw a load of laundry in. Let me just check my Instagram, Facebook and email. These are distractions we all face. Set time aside for chores and social media and even your email so that you have blocks of time planned out for your creativity. Perhaps try to reward yourself with some online browsing after completing something you feel good about. And if you need a lot of discipline, set a timer so you don’t get carried away.

5. Watch TV

The new season of (fill in the blank) just came out. I’ll watch one episode and get right to it. 4 episodes later and Netflix is asking if I’m still watching. Ugh, like that’s not binge shaming. TV is a terrible distraction. It’s so easy to get sucked into a show you love. Schedule TV time for yourself if you need to but don’t let TV take over.

We all procrastinate for various reasons. If I were to write this tomorrow, I’m sure I could come up with 5 new things that I do to procrastinate. How do you procrastinate? Do you know why you put things off when you had so much initial excitement? Take a minute to see if you can identify barriers to your creativity and where you can make some changes.

What’s funny is that I didn’t choose to procrastinate to write this blog. Okay, maybe just a little.