Can coaching REALLY help you overcome procrastination?
For decades, I battled procrastination.
I was frustrated, anxious about my future, and doubting myself. I had procrastinated myself into debt, lost friends, and had many failed attempts with creating my own business.
During those many years of trying to change, I wanted to try a procrastination coach, but I had many concerns:
- Could they really help, or would they just focus on rah-rah, ‘Just get it done!’ motivation?
- What was their methodology to help me get past all my mental blocks?
- How much would it cost? Many coaches would not even hint at their costs; you had to contact them to find out. Some coaches had courses that were several thousand dollars, so I knew that their coaching price would be very expensive.
- How long would I have to be coached? I was afraid of getting stuck paying for a long time.
I did eventually try several different procrastination courses, coaching, and even hypnotism over the years.
They were effective but only short-term.
They taught me to have clear goals and tasks, use affirmations, envision success, start the day strong, have accountability, etc.
I found that those skills were very helpful, but I would later fall back into my old habits because they did not fully attack the cause of my procrastination.
What causes procrastination?
After doing a lot of research, I learned to understand one important thing about procrastination.
I learned that it is not about the task that needs to be done. It is about how we ‘perceive’ the task that causes us to procrastinate.
“The way individuals perceive a situation is more closely connected to their reaction than the situation itself. – The Beck Institute.”
I had come across some articles on CBT, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, which is a type of therapy that helps people evaluate their thoughts and feelings.
The proponents of CBT say that if we can better understand the thoughts behind our limiting beliefs, fears, and worries, then we can examine and check their validity helping make them less potent.
The Biggest Lesson I Learned to Overcome Procrastination
I learned to look at how I was ‘perceiving’ my big tasks, and I then explored and questioned the emotions tied to them. I learned to check the validity of my fears and concerns. I also tried to understand what was driving those negative emotions and see if they really applied to my current situation.
By learning how to step out and evaluate my emotions, it made a big difference in getting things done. I no longer “felt” big, mental pushbacks to avoid the important things.
I felt as if a big weight had suddenly been lifted from my shoulders.
Was it all perfect from there?
No, it wasn’t.
Even though I had reduced the pushback from my lizard mind, I also had years of bad habits and negative thinking that I had created.
I would catch myself falling into my old habits and end up wasting a lot of time if I was not careful. I had to change this and create a stronger mindset. I needed new habits and thinking.
“Do what is easy, and your life will be hard. Do what is hard, and your life will be easy. Les Brown”
I had spent my lifetime choosing to do easy things, and I had ended up putting myself into a harder situation.
It was time to learn to embrace doing the hard things so my life would become easier.
I had to create new routines, habits, thoughts, and behaviors that would help me to more permanently create the desired life that I wanted to attain.
What did I do?
I put together a plan using the many skills I had read about or learned from others over the years.
At first, I focused on only short-term goals. I wanted to focus on getting important things completed while also learning to build productive routines through consistency.
Having clear plans while also better understanding the emotions I was associating with them, made me much more productive and focused.
I worked on strengthening my mindset focusing on daily exercises to rewire my old thinking. Most importantly, I learned to become more aware of my self-talk and worked on changing it so that it would serve me instead of working against me.
I also worked on creating a new identity based on key values and principles. Changing how I identified would help me stick to what I wanted to achieve.
It was not a sudden process, but I found I was accomplishing a lot more and I was feeling much better about myself, and I did not struggle as much with my thoughts.
What used to be a constant mental struggle was now not such a big deal. I was making much quicker progress with my work and finishing things that I once used to put off.
Back to the Most Important Question: Can Coaching Really Help You Overcome Procrastination?
Yes, it can.
If you can learn how to examine and validate the thoughts you associate with tasks and goals you want to accomplish, you will feel much less resistance to getting things done.
If you have a clear plan that focuses on building a “new” you through better self-talk, new ways of thinking, consistent routine, and clarity on tasks and goals, you will change.
On the other hand, if you are not committed and not willing to face your deep truths, it is unlikely to make a profound impact on your life.
Most people are afraid to make a commitment.
Just thinking about making a big commitment to changing one’s life and having to face the truths that lie deep within makes most people feel scared and reluctant.
I was the same. Part of me was scared. I had failed before.
Could I do it? Could I keep a promise to myself that really would require me to make drastic life changes? Could I be honest with myself and face all the excuses I had used over the years?
I knew that real commitment would mean making big changes.
It meant that I would have to give up many of the things that I used to put off things. It meant learning to grind and follow the rules that I set for myself. It meant making changes in my life.
I examined the perceptions and emotions I had about fully committing which helped me to reduce their influence and pull. I faced my excuses and checked their validity.
It became easier to commit.
If you want to commit but feel reluctant, try examining the different fears and emotions behind your reluctance. Are your emotions and fears really valid?
If you need help, I can help you examine your feelings behind committing.
A Quick Overview of My Methodology
I first work with clients and help them better understand their mindset and try to find the mental blocks that are causing them to put off working on the things they want. I work together with them to examine their emotions, perceptions, and self-talk helping them better manage their thoughts and feelings.
I discuss what values and principles are important for them, helping them to create a new identity that will help them move towards the life they want.
We continue to work on these things each week during our weekly calls and emails.
I also learn about their goals and aspirations, and then we make a short-term plan to help move them towards them using consistency and momentum, while also looking at time-wasting habits and finding ways to replace them with better ones.
As James Clear says, many micro habits lead to longer success.
The first stage is to focus on having clarity around specific, small goals to help build routine and success, and to also work on overcoming the mental blocks that get in the way (creating numerous small wins). In later stages, we look at expanding and building on the successes that have been created.
How much will it cost?
I offer 1-, 2-, and 3-month plans, as I want you to know that I do not want to string you along for as many months as possible. There is an additional prep week that I use to get to know you and to work with you to come up with a specific plan for the month(s) you work with me.
My plans run from $795to $995 a month, and you can choose which plan is most suitable for you.
What You Can Expect
Here are some key things that you can expect if you choose to work with me:
- I will try to understand and help you get past the roadblocks in your head. I will help you explore the emotions that are tied to how you perceive things.
- I will also work with you to change your negative self-talk. It is usually so prevalent that many people don’t even notice it anymore. Changing negative self-talk will greatly impact your life in a very positive way.
- I will help you to find your ‘why’ to help motivate and push you.
- I will not judge you.
- I will listen to you and help you explore why you are delaying moving forward. I will help you gain clarity.
- As your coach, I will push you. I will ask you to go beyond what you think you can do so you can learn to overcome your self-limitations. I will hold you to be accountable.
- I will challenge your answers and beliefs. Many people who struggle have learned to hide behind facades of who they really are. If you really want to change, you will have to be honest with me and yourself.
- I will help push you to build new routines and habits through consistency. This will serve you well over time as it will move you towards success long after we are finished working together.
- I really do want you to succeed and will support you in your journey.
If you really want to gain freedom and security in your life, contact me today.
There is no fee for this first call that will last between 30 to 60 minutes. I will work with you to understand your story, and I will give you advice on what can help you on the call.
After the talk, if you feel comfortable working with me and want to continue as a paying client, I will set up a schedule with you to get you going in the right direction as soon as possible.
If you really want to start creating a better life, don’t hesitate and make an appointment now. I am available on Zoom, Teams, or Skype.
Once again, there is no charge for this first consultancy call.