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3 Effective Principles to Help You Stop Procrastinating and Start Taking Action

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When it comes to achieving your goals and living your dreams, most people have a hard time because they procrastinate and are not taking any action to achieve what they want in life. They tell you that they want to be successful, but they are not doing anything about it. Does this sound familiar to you?

You are what you do, not what you say you will do. Don’t just say that you want to build an online business with your free time, and when you get back home from work, all you do is watch TV. You have to stop procrastinating on your goals and start taking action instead. Taking action is the only key to getting the results you desire.

Here are three powerful methods that can help you in this:

1. Apply the Goldilocks Strategy

Imagine you are a regular tennis player. And if you have to play a match against a complete rookie, how will you feel? Well, most people will say that it will be boring because the opponent is too easy. And this is true. Now, how about if your opponent is Roger Federer? Do you think the match is going to be exciting and fun?

Not likely, because the opponent is too strong and you can’t even return the ball. If the match is too easy, you will feel bored. On the other hand, if the match is too difficult, you will feel overwhelmed. Hence, you have to find the sweet spot between the two. You have to find an opponent that has almost the same skill level as you.

“In order to carry a positive action we must develop here a positive vision.” – Dalai Lama

It is the same when it comes to working on your goals and doing your tasks. When the task is too difficult, you feel overwhelmed, and you do not want to do it. Conversely, when the task is too easy, you don’t feel motivated to do it. And this is where the Goldilocks strategy comes in. Make the task or the work just right for you. Not too difficult and not too easy, just right.

2. Revisit Your Purpose

Why are some people able to work harder and stay later while some don’t have the motivation to work at all? It all comes down to their purpose. A heavy smoker finds it hard to get rid of his bad smoking habit. He tries many times, but he fails. So he continues to smoke, and his health deteriorates.

One day, he was diagnosed with lung cancer. The doctor tells him that if he did not stop smoking, he would never live past three months. Suddenly, he had all the reasons to stop smoking, and it becomes a must.

When you have a strong and emotional reason to do something, you will do it. When you don’t have a reason, you don’t even care about it. Why do you wake up in the morning? If you have nothing to do and have no plan for the weekend, you will choose to sleep more. However, when you have a reason to wake up, you will get up.

Can you see how your reasons can drive you? Thus, revisit your purpose. Why do you want to achieve your goals? Why do you want to live your dreams? Why do you want to work more and take action? Why can’t you rest and procrastinate?

Your reasons will become the fuel that motivates you to move forward and to take action. The stronger and more emotional your reasons, the more desperate you will be. When you have a strong purpose and are committed, you will do whatever it takes. When you are just interested and have no clear reasons, you will do what is convenient.

“Efforts and courage are not enough without purpose and direction.” – John F. Kennedy

3. Build A Ritual

Extraordinary people are able to take action and work on their dreams regardless of their feelings because they have built a ritual. In other words, they have made it into a habit. The process has become the ritual, and they will work on it whether they feel like it or not. This is what you need to do too.

Create a ritual that you will follow through to take action each day. For example, you can make your morning ritual as follows:

  • After washing up, go to the kitchen and drink a cup full of water.
  • After that, do some stretching and exercises.
  • And then practice daily goal setting.
  • After that, work on your most important task.

It is a chain reaction that one follows another. After you wash up, you drink the water. After drinking, you do some exercise. There is a cue for every action. The cue to start working on your most important task is after you write down your goals. The cue to exercise is after you drink the water.

When everything is in position, you will make it into a ritual and eventually, it will become a habit that will keep you moving whether you like it or not. What you can do right now is to write down your ritual. How do you want your morning to be? What about the afternoon and evening? Create your ritual right now and follow through.

Remember, what you do once in awhile is not as important as what you do every day. It is your habit that will shape your life and your destiny.

How do you beat procrastination? Please leave your thoughts below!

Shawn Lim is the creator of StunningMotivation.com (https://StunningMotivation.com) and he’s a passionate blogger in the personal development industry who has inspired thousands to pursue their dreams and follow their passions. You can learn more about him plus download a free copy of his guidebook, Reach Your Goals on his website.

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Success Advice

Why One-Size-Fits-All Leadership Will Always Fail (and What Works Instead)

The surprising truth about leadership styles that can make or break your team’s success.

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Why one-size-fits-all leadership doesn’t work
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Leadership has always been as much about people as it is about performance. Ken Blanchard, in his influential book, “The One Minute Manager”, put it simply: different strokes for different folks. (more…)

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What Every New CEO Must Do in Their First 100 Days (or Risk Failure)

Your first 100 days as CEO could define your entire legacy, here’s how to make every move count

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The Leadership Shift Every Company Needs in 2025

Struggling to keep your team engaged? Here’s how leaders can turn frustrated employees into loyal advocates.

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Bridging the gap between employees and employers
Image Credit: Midjourney

In workplaces around the world, there’s a growing gap between employers and employees and between superiors and their teams. It’s a common refrain: “People don’t leave companies, they leave bad bosses.”

While there are, of course, cases where management could do better, this isn’t just a “bad boss” problem. The relationship between leaders and employees is complex. Instead of assigning blame, we should explore practical solutions to build stronger, healthier workplaces where everyone thrives.

Why This Gap Exists

Every workplace needs someone to guide, supervise, and provide feedback. That’s essential for productivity and performance. But because there are usually far more employees than managers, dissatisfaction, fair or not, spreads quickly.

What if, instead of focusing on blame, we focused on building trust, empathy, and communication? This is where modern leadership and human-centered management can make a difference.

Tools and Techniques to Bridge the Gap

Here are proven strategies leaders and employees can use to foster stronger relationships and create a workplace where people actually want to stay.

1. Practice Mutual Empathy

Both managers and employees need to recognize they are ultimately on the same team. Leaders have to balance people and performance, and often face intense pressure to hit targets. Employees who understand this reality are more likely to cooperate and problem-solve collaboratively.

2. Maintain Professional Boundaries

Superiors should separate personal issues from professional decision-making. Consistency, fairness, and integrity build trust, and trust is the foundation of a motivated team.

3. Follow the Golden Rule

Treat people how you would like to be treated. This simple principle encourages compassion and respect, two qualities every effective leader must demonstrate.

4. Avoid Micromanagement

Micromanaging stifles creativity and damages morale. Great leaders see themselves as partners, not just bosses, and treat their teams as collaborators working toward a shared goal.

5. Empower Employees to Grow

Empowerment means giving employees responsibility that matches their capacity, and then trusting them to deliver. Encourage them to take calculated risks, learn from mistakes, and problem-solve independently. If something goes wrong, turn it into a learning opportunity, not a reprimand.

6. Communicate in All Directions

Communication shouldn’t just be top-down. Invite feedback, create open channels for suggestions, and genuinely listen to what your people have to say. Healthy upward communication closes gaps before they become conflicts.

7. Overcome Insecurities

Many leaders secretly fear being outshone by younger, more tech-savvy employees. Instead of resisting, embrace the chance to learn from them. Humility earns respect and helps the team innovate faster.

8. Invest in Coaching and Mentorship

True leaders grow other leaders. Provide mentorship, career guidance, and stretch opportunities so employees can develop new skills. Leadership is learned through experience, but guided experience is even more powerful.

9. Eliminate Favoritism

Avoid cliques and office politics. Decisions should be based on facts and fairness, not gossip. Objective, transparent decision-making builds credibility.

10. Recognize Efforts Promptly

Recognition often matters more than rewards. Publicly appreciate employees’ contributions and do so consistently and fairly. A timely “thank you” can be more motivating than a quarterly bonus.

11. Conduct Thoughtful Exit Interviews

When employees leave, treat it as an opportunity to learn. Keep interviews confidential and use the insights to improve management practices and culture.

12. Provide Leadership Development

Train managers to lead, not just supervise. Leadership development programs help shift mindsets from “command and control” to “coach and empower.” This transformation has a direct impact on morale and retention.

13. Adopt Soft Leadership Principles

Today’s workforce, largely millennials and Gen Z, value collaboration over hierarchy. Soft leadership focuses on partnership, mutual respect, and shared purpose, rather than rigid top-down control.

The Bigger Picture: HR’s Role

Mercer’s global research highlights five key priorities for organizations:

  • Build diverse talent pipelines

  • Embrace flexible work models

  • Design compelling career paths

  • Simplify HR processes

  • Redefine the value HR brings

The challenge? Employers and employees often view these priorities differently. Bridging that perception gap is just as important as bridging the relational gap between leaders and staff.

Treat Employees Like Associates, Not Just Staff

When you treat employees like partners, they bring their best selves to work. HR leaders must develop strategies to keep talent engaged, empowered, and prepared for the future.

Organizational success starts with people, always. Build the relationship with your team first, and the results will follow.

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Entrepreneurs

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