Motivation
There’s Nothing Better Than A Deadline (Literally Nothing!)
Anyone who has worked in the business of sales or has been around it would have been beaten over the head with the power of deadlines.
Or if you’ve read a blog post on productivity or goal-setting, you would have seen deadlines as well.
I’ve fallen in love with deadlines and it’s how I stay productive.
Without a deadline you’re useless.
Let me give you an example. If I have a deadline, I produce twice as many blog posts.
Right now I’m seven days away from going to Europe which means everything I’m currently doing has to be finished quick smart.
Last week I had a day where I had nothing booked, no meetings and no phone calls. I put aside the whole day to write. Instead, what ended up happening was I sat there and watched YouTube, binged on Facebook and read a few articles.
In other words, I pissed the entire day up the wall and had nothing to show for it (nice one Timbo).
If you think about people on the brink of retirement, they suffer from the same problem. They think that when they retire, they can finally travel or learn the piano or spend time with their kids.
When these fun-loving folk finally reach retirement, they don’t do half of what they said they would. They waited their entire life to do the things they love and they don’t do it.
Saving up tasks to complete in the future is a complete waste of time. You need a deadline otherwise you’ll never get to your goals/tasks/dreams.
I make up deadlines.
A little hack I use is to make up deadlines.
Every Saturday is my writing day. It’s when I bust my chops to deliver you as many helpful articles I can, for free, with the most beautiful imagery I can find on the internet, that will inspire you and make you take action.
It’s bloody hard work.
To achieve this enormous weekly task that sucks up all my energy, I put a deadline at the end of the day.
I promise my girlfriend dinner at 6 pm every Saturday which means I have to be done by 5 pm. Failure to meet this deadline involves a slow and torturous death by my girlfriend who will never let me hear the end of being late to a romantic dinner date.
This deadline not only gives me a hard stop to be done writing by, but it also gives me something to look forward to. It makes all the pain and sweat of writing worth it. It’s how I celebrate.
If you struggle with deadlines, then try making up your own one.
Purposely place an event in your calendar right after the goal you want to achieve. Make it something you can’t get out of without experiencing a lot of pain (or in my case ‘death by girlfriend’).
The illusion of free time.
The best habit you can cultivate is to focus on ‘the doing’ no matter what day, time or month of the year we’re in.
The moment you need to set aside time is the moment nothing will happenand you’ll find your long lost friend called procrastination.
“When you don’t feel like it is the best time to work on your goals”
Whenever we have free time, we think we have all day when we don’t. Digital distractions can rob you of an entire day faster than I can drink a Matcha Latte.
Next time you hear yourself saying “I’ll do it during this block of free time” be suspicious of yourself. See through your own BS.
It’s all in the mind.
The battle of achieving your goals takes place in the mind mostly.
“Deadlines are just a way to sort of trick your brain into working with you rather than against you”
We’re wired to be fat, lazy bastards who should be scared of the big, bad world we live in.
Using reframe techniques like deadlines helps our mind think clearly and focus on what we want.
Our million-year-old brain is not there to make us win and so using deadlines is how we can program it to help us win big.
Deadlines are beautiful.
Until you’ve played around with deadlines, you won’t see the beauty in them like I do.
The reason I love deadlines is because they are such a simple hack.
Simplicity is beauty in disguise.
“We’re often led to believe that whatever we dream of in life is incredibly difficult and our chance of success is almost zero. When you discover 2–3 little life hacks like deadlines, you start to see the impossible becoming possible”
I never thought I’d have the time, creativity, stories or knowledge to ever be a blogger. It always sounded really hard.
I then used deadlines, habits, and energy from a clean diet to blog my way to my goals. It’s a beautiful thing when you can see how the world really works through tools like deadlines.
Deadlines work.
You can win at life.
All you need to do is pick a goal and whack a nice deadline activity at the end of it that gives you leverage against yourself to defeat procrastination.
Give deadlines a shot!
If you want to increase your productivity and learn some more valuable life hacks, then join my private mailing list on timdenning.net
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8 Ways to Stop Procrastinating and Be More Decisive
Tackling Procrastination and Indecisiveness
Hi, Joel Brown here. As the person behind Addicted to Success and Mind Strong, I’m often asked about tackling procrastination and making swift, effective decisions. It’s a common struggle in today’s world, where distractions are endless.
Procrastination often creeps in when we’re bombarded with social media notifications, breaking news, and the hustle of daily life. This leads to a fear-driven indecision, where we’re paralyzed by the thought of failure or judgment.
Here’s a video breakdown of how to stop procrastinating and be more decisive if you are more of a visual person:
Embracing Speed and Momentum to Stop Procrastination
One of the most impactful lessons in my journey is understanding the role of speed in overcoming procrastination. A mentor of mine, a highly successful individual, always emphasized:
“Success loves speed, and money loves momentum.”
This principle is crucial in combating procrastination. It’s about seizing opportunities quickly, not just for financial gain, but for the invaluable experiences and connections they bring.
Understanding Analysis Paralysis: A Key to Overcoming Procrastination
A major hurdle in decision-making is what’s commonly known as analysis paralysis, a significant form of procrastination. It happens when our decision-making process, governed by the prefrontal cortex, gets overwhelmed. To break free from this form of procrastination, try calming techniques like deep breathing. It’s surprising how such simple steps can clear a cluttered mind and help you move past procrastination.
The Long-Term Effects of Procrastination and Indecision
Procrastination isn’t just about putting off decisions; it can lead to a reduced sense of life satisfaction over time.
In a conversation I had with Tony Robbins, we discussed how the quality of our lives hinges on the quality of our decisions.
Therefore, overcoming procrastination and indecision is vital for a fulfilling life.
My Top Strategies for Beating Procrastination
- Seek Guidance from the Experienced: To combat procrastination, connect with people who’ve achieved the goals you’re aiming for. Their experience can be a guiding light when you’re stuck in indecision.
- Use Deadlines as Anti-Procrastination Tools: Setting deadlines is a powerful way to break the cycle of procrastination. They create a sense of urgency that pushes you into action.
- Accept Imperfection to Move Past Procrastination: Understand that no one is perfect, and that includes you. Accepting this can alleviate the pressure that often leads to procrastination.
Identify Your Procrastination Type to Find Solutions
Procrastination manifests in various forms. I’ve developed a quiz (find it at mindstrongacademy.com/quiz) to help you identify your specific type of procrastination. Understanding your personal procrastination style is a crucial step in addressing it effectively.
Additional Tips on Making Quality Decisions and Beating Procrastination
When it comes to decision-making, it’s important to not get too bogged down in analyzing pros and cons. While analysis is important, excessive scrutiny can lead to procrastination. Trusting your intuition often plays a crucial role in breaking free from procrastination.
Handling Major Life Choices Without Procrastination
For significant decisions in life, whether in your career or personal relationships, procrastination can be particularly challenging.
To address this, break down these big decisions into smaller steps. Assess the potential outcomes realistically to understand that often, the fear of a negative outcome is more intimidating than the actual consequences.
Conclusion: Your Journey Away from Procrastination Begins Now
To wrap up, remember that overcoming procrastination and indecision is about understanding your own patterns, seeking wise counsel, setting deadlines, and embracing your imperfections. It’s time to start making those impactful decisions and enjoying the journey of life.
Whether it’s through the Mind Strong Academy or my procrastination quiz, I’m here to guide you on your path to decisive action.
I believe in your ability to conquer procrastination and live a life of purposeful decisions.
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