Procrastination Anxiety - Just Get It Done

I am struggling this week.

I have always had an issue with procrastination but this week it has been the worst it has ever been, which of course increases my anxiety. Where does my procrastination anxiety come from?

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I believe it’s due to my struggles with perfectionism which I will probably discuss in another post at some point. If I feel I cannot do something perfectly, well then I am loath to complete or start something, such as my book on resilience building.

I realize the inane, irrational nature of this issue. I feel like, over the years, I have gotten better at resolving this issue through various methods and techniques.

Still, when I am physically and emotionally taxed, procrastination will rear its ugly head and I will capitulate.

This week, I am taking active measures to deal with my procrastination anxiety, I hope you will too if it’s a problem. If you struggle with this issue, I have found the following techniques at least somewhat helpful:

Build a daily schedule.

Either before you go to bed at night or as soon as you get up in the morning, outline what your day is going to look like.

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This way, you at least have some sort of plan to follow, even if you get off track. I don’t do hourly schedules, instead, I prefer what Paul Graham calls the Maker’s schedule, which chunks together blocks of time.

I like to divide my day into 3-hour chunks. In those three hour chunks, I schedule things such as working out and eat or work on book or marketing items and social media tasks.

I find when I follow the Maker’s schedule, my procrastination is less but throw in something unexpected like a new consultancy meeting or travel and Aaron’s productivity train gets derailed.

Move dammit.

This may seem counterintuitive since you can use this as an excuse not to focus on work-related tasks. However, I have found that just doing 15 minutes of yoga, such as the one in my morning ritual and or even just 50 push-ups in a row sparks my creativity and allows me to focus more.

Sometimes, if my procrastination is really bad, I will do a full 60 to 90-minute workout. This way, even if I don’t get any work accomplished, I can say I accomplished one positive task that day; that thought, along with the sweating keeps the anxiety at bay.

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Listen to that inspiring podcast.

It’s easy for me to start beating myself up. Once I do, I go down the rabbit hole of comparing myself to other people and you don’t know want to know where that leads.

I find I can lessen this type of anxiety by listening to podcasters I find inspirational. Most of the ones I listen to also interview successful people who describe their struggles and failures.

I feel less alone in my procrastination anxiety when I listen to this type of programming. Sometimes, if I am listening to them while I am sitting at a desk with my laptop open, I will just start working and the momentum can carry me through for a few hours.

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I have to admit, though, using those techniques, as well as others don’t always work. Sometimes, I just have to call it a no productivity day or even week.

The important aspect of this issue though is that no matter what I feel, be it anxiety, despair or sadness that I can sit with this uncomfortable emotion; not allowing it to affect my self-worth.

Finally, show some compassion for yourself.

You, probably like me are a fairly driven person in certain parts of your life.

Therefore, it may be difficult to show compassion for yourself when you procrastinate. But would you feel the say way with a friend who was struggling with procrastination? Probably not.

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If you found this post helpful, please consider sharing it and getting the word out.

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