A typical reaction to eating a frog is this:
I’m STUPID. I could have done this ages ago. I SHOULD have done this ages ago!
It looks like internal shouting. And it is. A punitive voice that tells you you’re no good. Again..
Criticism doesn’t work
Emotion lies behind every almost form of procrastination. Fear of failure and fear of not being good enough are common examples. What the critical voice does, is feed these fears. It takes a success you’ve just created, and turns it into proof that you’re a quack.
Inner berating leads to more procrastination, not less.
Reward yourself
Each time you get something done that you procrastinated on, reward yourself. Acknowledge yourself for getting over yourself. Celebrate that YOU DID IT. Create physical rewards: a nice cup of coffee of tea, reading the newspaper, going out for a walk. The bigger your challenge was, the bigger the reward you create.
Your typical reaction to eating a frog, may become this:
I rock!
I’d love to hear your response to this post. What you do reward yourself with? Or what keeps you from rewarding yourself? Or how about this: acknowledge yourself publicly. Now that’s a challenge… 🙂 The reply button is on the top left side of this post.
That’s how I felt this week. I think the reward, for me, was the relief off my shoulders. FYI, I love that you gave examples of rewards, I always turn to food and I don’t think that’s a good thing 😉 I think just making time for myself is a good thing.
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Joanne, I’ve noticed that often my cravings stop when I take myself out for a walk and some fresh air. A much healthier reward, that I actually enjoy more.
Thanks for the feedback!
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You know, I am unusual because I actually need to procrastinate a bit more. I rush through my task lists with such fury sometimes I am not truly present to what I am doing. Positive self talk, on the other hand, is a whole other category of self-improvement and one in which I am not proficient.
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I reward myself with a scented bath, light a candle or set aside time to read
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Hi Angela,
Since university I’ve used positive reinforcement to keep myself motivated. But sometimes I forget and I appreciate this reminder. It’s such a great way to go through a work day, particularly when there are those tasks you enjoy less than the others!
Lori
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Celebrating and acknowledging EVERY success is critical! No matter how small the task, when you see a success for what it is you get used to taking care of business. and with that your confidence level goes up and procrastination is less likely.
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Hear hear hear! Absolutely.
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I think I’ll reward myself with a few moments’ hesitation before starting my next project
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I actually believe that c0uld be a great reward 🙂
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