Overcoming procrastination. How do we do it? What is procrastination in the first place?

I can give you an example of what procrastination looked like in the past. I didn’t want to push “enter” and send my first blog post into the world on January 29, 2017. I was procrastinating because I was afraid of what people would think about my writing. Would my thoughts help someone or be a waste of their time? I didn’t know if I had edited my writing so that it didn’t have any errors. Was it perfect? All these thoughts and more swirled in my head. Finally, after praying about it and having peace that the post was ready to send, I pushed the enter button on my computer and Blog 1: “Tips for Busy Women Who Want Better Health” was published so people could read it. 

Overcoming procrastination is a big deal if we are to move forward on the path God has for us. We will look at some easy steps for overcoming procrastination in today’s blog. 

Prayer Helps Move Procrastination

Did you notice how prayer helped me decide to move forward and publish my first blog? If you read Blog 218 “How to Make Prayer a Daily Habit,” you might remember that prayer is a conversation with God and a great way of cultivating a relationship with Him. It is intentional communion with God. Some methods that help accomplish this are reading Scripture in solitude and praying it back to God, practicing a weekly Sabbath, and having a weekly touch point with your faith community. Establishing daily times of prayer throughout the day can lead to a habit of praying constantly.  

Through prayer, a person can gain peace that God wants them to do something, or not do something. Then they can move forward with confidence, while continuing to listen to God for any change in direction he may want in the situation.

Set Up Systems to Minimize Procrastination

What is the difference between goals and systems? James Clear, in Atomic Habits, tells us that he learned the difference from Scott Adams, the cartoonist behind the Dilbert comic. (By the way, Scott Adams passed away last week.) Clear states: “Goals are about the results you want to achieve. Systems are about the processes that lead to those results.” In other words, you plan goals to set a direction you want to go and then you set up systems to help you accomplish your goals. Doing these things will help you minimize procrastination.

Implement a system of continuous small improvements to lessen the tendency for procrastination and achieve success in accomplishing a goal. Clear explains that an atomic habit is a tiny change that leads to a marginal gain. Atomic habits are regular routines that are small and easy to do, but they are the source of power that leads to compound growth and avoiding procrastination. 

Clear wrote The Four Laws of Behavior Change. These are four easy steps we can use to build better habits that will help us steer away from procrastinating.

1. Make it obvious. Become aware of your habits. Create a habit’s scorecard, which is an orderly list of what you want to become a habit. Make a specific plan for when and where you will do your habit. “I will [BEHAVIOR} at [TIME] in [LOCATION]. Use a habit stacking formula like this: After I [CURRENT HABIT], I will [NEW HABIT].
2. Make it attractive. Bundle an action you want to do along with one you need to do. After I [CURRENT HABIT], I will [HABIT I NEED]. After [HABIT I NEED], I will [HABIT I WANT]. 
3. Make it easy. Reduce friction. Prepare your environment. Use the Two-Minute Rule. Downscale your habits so they can be done in less than two minutes. Automate your habits.
4. Make it satisfying. To be satisfied, make progress. A habit tracker helps you see your progress. Don’t break your chain. Never mess twice. Have an accountability partner. 

How do we apply these Four Laws of Behavior Change to Procrastination? 

Let’s use my blog publishing procrastination as an example. 

1. Make it obvious. My Blog Writing Habit Scorecard could look like this: Research. Write. Proofread for spelling, grammar, and punctuation. Re-read looking at content and flow. Proofread. Put into website blog, along with picture. Edit for SEO. Final read through. Pray. Push “Publish” button. “I will write my blog Monday at 1pm in my office. 
2. Make it attractive. After I publish my blog [HABIT I NEED], I will read it [HABIT I WANT] so I can see its value for my readers.
3. Make it easy. To reduce friction, I have my annual list of blog posts planned well ahead of time (by December of the previous year) and have a basic template to help me get started in less than two minutes. 
4. Make it satisfying. My habit tracker is a list of published blog posts that started in 2017 and is continuing in 2026. 

These steps have helped me overcome my procrastination for writing blogs.

You Can Overcome Procreation in Your Health Journey  

To help you start or continue your journey to wellness, I have written a freebie called “Wellness Starter Kit.” Here is a description for you. “In a world that moves quickly and demands much of us, taking time to nurture ourselves is essential. This Wellness Starter Kit was designed with you in mind. It will help you start your journey to mental, physical, social/emotional, and spiritual wellness.”

Action Step

Download the new “Wellness Starter Kit” freebie today to help you in your wellness journey. Don’t procrastinate!

May God bless you on your wellness journey!

Joni

P.S. How do you get over procrastinating?