How a close call helped me beat procrastination

Some people are born knowing what it is that they want to do and they go after it, while others like me need a wake-up call.

Since the age of 16, I knew that I wanted to run my own business. I pictured myself with a Louis Vuitton briefcase, a Chanel suit, and Christian Louboutin shoes. There was only one problem: I had no idea what the business would do and even less of an idea about how to start one.

So I did what everyone else around me was doing, and after university, I went and got a job in finance. For 10 years, I steadily climbed the greasy pole, trying to ignore the empty feeling that followed me around.

Then, at the age of 32, I had a stroke.

It happened while I was on a business trip to the United States. One minute, I was planning a day of Starbucks and shopping with my friend (I’d flown in early for the weekend), and the next, I was hooked up to drips, surrounded by medical technicians frantically trying to figure out what had happened to me.

In the moments when I thought I was going to die, I remember thinking that I hadn’t actually lived my life at all. I had spent 32 years existing, fitting in, and procrastinating about starting things because I didn’t know how to do them.

Sound familiar? Do you find yourself not valuing the time that you have? Do you forget to enjoy the moment because you are too busy chasing tomorrow, your fortune, and your future success?

So what is procrastination? It’s intentionally scheduling a low-priority activity ahead of the one that needs to be done. In short, it’s deliberate self-sabotage.

People generally procrastinate because the activity that needs to be done doesn’t excite them, or they don’t know how to do it, or they have never done it before and it scares them.

I understand all that. And in my work, I let people know that there are seven steps to take in order to avoid procrastination.

1. Identify what the task is that you need to do.

2. Become crystal clear about how it will benefit you.

3. Visualize why you need to complete the task and how you will feel when you have finished it.

4. Create a plan about when you will begin the activities.

5. Brainstorm who could help you to do what is not your skill set.

6. Do not negotiate with yourself.

7. Reward yourself every time you complete an activity to maintain motivation and momentum.

All of the steps are important, but I tell people that the second step is the real secret to beating procrastination. When you become crystal clear about why you need to complete a task and how you will feel when you do, then you will find your motivation.

A major secret to success is accountability, and that’s why I created The Procrastinators Breakthrough Club, which helps members beat their habits with the support of a like-minded community. Members are happy to hold each other accountable for the goals that they set for themselves.

This month marks four years since my stroke, as well as the start of my second life. The journey from then until now could fill a book, but in a nutshell, I jumped out of the corporate world and started a new chapter of my life: running a training business where I share my story to help other business owners break through their procrastination habits. My passion is showing them how they can create a business and life that they love, with less stress and more living.

Interested in workspace? Get in touch.