Understanding Mindful Procrastination

Welcome to another extraordinary week! Today, we're diving deep into a topic that's all too familiar to many of us: procrastination. It's something we often use as a valid option in our process of doing things, sometimes even feeling that we gain clarity at the last minute. However, I'd like to propose viewing procrastination through a more mindful lens, especially during this season of Lent.

The Tradition of Lent and Procrastination

Lent is a time of sacrifice, reflection, and realignment with what truly matters. While many give up physical comforts like sweets or social media, a recent challenge arose to fast from procrastination. The idea is to consider the transformation possible if we act immediately on opportunities for growth and meaningful projects, aligning with the principle of defaulting to "yes."

Understanding Procrastination

Not simply a flaw in time management, procrastination is deeply tied to our emotional regulation and the nervous system. It's often a response to avoid stress, driven by our brain's fear center, the amygdala. Recognizing procrastination's role as a mechanism to avoid discomfort allows us to address its root causes through mindfulness and self-awareness.

The Productive Side of Procrastination

Procrastination isn't always negative; it can signal a need for rest or incubate creative ideas. Productive procrastination occurs when we choose a nurturing task or another meaningful action that aids our journey. Understanding when procrastination serves as a positive force helps us embrace it more mindfully.

Transforming Procrastination into Purposeful Action

The key to overcoming procrastination is not judgment but curiosity. When faced with resistance, ask yourself questions about the underlying emotions and needs. This self-inquiry can guide us away from avoidance and towards intentional actions like reaching out to others or engaging with important projects.

Practical Tips for Conquering Procrastination

1. Regulate Your Nervous System 
2. Start Small: 
3. Reframe the Task 
4. Set Personal Deadlines 
5. Purposeful Rest 

Conclusion

This Lent season presents a unique opportunity to fast from unnecessary procrastination. Whether driven by faith or a longing for more fulfillment, saying "yes" to timely action enriches our lives. Break the cycle of delay, join the challenge, and step into a purposeful, intention-filled life. Share this journey with others and ex

Transcript

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Welcome to another extraordinary week. I am glad you're joining me here today, and we're gonna talk about procrastination. We're all over the place with procrastination because we like to hold it as a valid option for the way we go about doing things. A lot of us have been in school before and we have had papers due and we put them off to the last minute and really feel like we have most clarity. There are a lot of projects that I, especially if you're a perfectionist, you get to that deadline. And it's really motivating and it keeps you from revising and redoing and restructuring, and you spend less time on the project. I'm gonna put it out there, that procrastination maybe a different look at that and a way that we look at that in a more mindful way. Now, the reason why it's coming up is because it's lent the season of Lent and I use the hallow app every day. Tune, tune in there and listen some thoughts on Lent and a way to approach this season on the church calendar and. On Fridays, they talk about, it's fa, they're fasting Fridays. And on Friday we were challenged to fast from procrastination and so this is really brought this up. Now, lent is traditionally a season as sacrifice, reflection, and realignment with what truly matters. And a lot of people will give up sweets or caffeine or social media. As a way of just a discipline and self-sacrifice. it was presented to us on Friday that instead of focusing maybe on physical sacrifice, we fasted from something that directly affects our growth, procrastination. And there the challenge was a valid one. Because imagine a transformation that could happen if instead of thinking about doing something, we simply did it. And if there's an opportunity to grow to help someone to start a meaningful project, what if we just said yes today rather than waiting for more convenient time? That's also aligned with Our call to default to yes. Yes. To those experiences. Yes. To those challenges, yes, to our own personal growth and development, and being the person who we're created to be. even just thinking about how many times you've felt the urge to reach out to a friend or start a new habit, or tackle an important goal, only to tell yourself, I'll do it later, and then later turns into never, and that opportunity passes. And then we have that little bit of regret that we didn't do what we said we would do. Or what we were prompted to do. When we delay what truly matters, whether it's relationships or work or personal development, we miss out on progress. And also that means that sense of fulfillment that comes from taking action. I. Procrastination isn't about poor time management. It's a lot of times it's a signal of deeper resistance. we have time to do the things that are important to us and. Sometimes there's that protection mechanism that our brain kicks in, and we're gonna talk a little bit more about that. So we, a lot of times we'll feel failure or inadequacy or discomfort. I tend to overthink some of those things as far as what if what I do doesn't land the way I want it to or doesn't get the outcome or doesn't. Show up in the lives of others the way I intend it to. So sometimes we doubt whether we're truly ready to do something also, but when we step into action despite uncertainty, we gain that clarity and confidence along the way. So it's like that catch 22, right? Let's just talk about procrastination as the root word, and then we'll talk a little bit about the science of procrastination as well. I think having an understanding helps us process what we think of this word, procrastination. Procrastination comes from the Latin pro, meaning forward and procrast, meaning belonging to tomorrow. It literally means to put off until tomorrow. We had a band director and friend who said would always say, why put off till tomorrow what you can do today? And my son would joke, why do today what you can put off till tomorrow? And we had this ongoing kind of banter about that as a funny thing. But it really is the debate of procrastination, right? Science reveals procrastination isn't just about time management. Like I said, it's deeply tied to that emotional regulation. And the nervous system, and this is something that I think we don't think about from a neurological perspective. Procrastination is often the result of the brain's attempt to avoid stress. When we anticipate a task that feels a little overwhelming, our amygdala, that Brains Fear Center perceives that threat. this triggers a stress response leading us to. Go after that immediate relief by avoiding the task. And that's why we distract ourselves with social media and busy work, unnecessary tasks instead of doing what actually matters. The nervous system plays a crucial role in procrastination, and this is where I really want us to think about this because. when we get to the root cause of some things we can really decide what's good for us and what's not, and we become more aware. So when we are in a dysregulated state, whether that's chronic stress, anxiety, sometimes burnout, our brain perceives even small tasks. Overwhelming. The key to overcoming that procrastination then would be regulating the nervous system. And we do this through mindfulness, through breath, work, breath. It's powerful way to regulate the nervous system movement, and even just small steps of action, which help shift from a stress response into that state of calm and focus. Now, while fasting procrastination can be a powerful discipline. Maybe we could also stop judging procrastination as inherently good or bad. Instead, we could take a balanced or nonjudgmental or mindful approach to it. I feel like my friend and I have this, the, she uses the term pro productive procrastination, and I think that is a way to positively embrace the procrastination, and that would probably be when you go to do something and you choose to do another task or learn something that is also enhancing to your work or to your journey. That might be a way to productively procrastinate, but I think we also have to ask the question. Why are we taking that approach? So what I'm saying is procrastination can sometimes be a positive force in our lives, and like I said before, sometimes we are able to really get that clarity when we wait till the last minute. But there are of course, some risks and I'm sure that if you're somebody who embraces that this as a way you do things. Procrastinating can run you into trouble. If you're against a deadline and you some unforeseen circumstance arises and then you actually don't meet the deadline. But let's go back to the how it can be a positive force. First of all, If we use that procrastination as we do anything that comes up, it signals a need for rest. W if we're mentally exhausted, procrastination may be our body's way of telling us that we need a break to restore focus and creativity. I. Write, for example, a writer struggling with writer's block might step away for a walk and then return with fresh inspiration. I find that a lot of times when I'm doing a lot of work on the computer trying to create something or write or draft a podcast, a episode, sometimes it's just good too. just go for a walk, go do something else, and then come back to it. That would be a form of. Productive procrastination. It also allows those ideas to incubate. So stepping away from a task can give our brain that time to process information in the background a lot of times will lead us to more creative insights. Some of the best innovations have come from moments of productive procrastination. It also helps with prioritization. Delaying a task might lead us to complete another one that is more important or meaningful in the moment. So if you've ever cleaned your entire kitchen while avoiding the tough, a tough conversation, you've experienced this. It prevents also impulsive decisions. So waiting to act can allow time for better discernment and decision making, especially when emotions are involved. And also leverages that deadline pressure. As I said before, some people just thrive under those time constraints and using that urgency to focus and perform efficiently. Like I said, it doesn't those, and that does not come without its own risks. That we, you've probably all met, and that might be some of the excitement in it actually. So we can actually save ourselves some time when we procrastinate as well. So let's say you're writing something or you go to complete a project if you're not completely ready, sometimes you sense that subconsciously and you just need to step away from it, go do something else, or set it aside for a little bit so you can come back and process clearly. And maybe the project turns out better because of it. Now, when procrastination becomes a problem is when it stems from fear or self doubt or perfectionism, and I think that's the kind of procrastination that we're talking about as why it gets such a negative connotation to it. So if we avoided action because we're afraid of failure, We end up missing out on growth and opportunity. Procrastination also can lead to chronic stress and last minute panic. Constantly pushing tasks to the last minute can increase that anxiety and lower the quality of our work. And these aren't always, when you're someone who find yourself consistently in this. This is why we need to really evaluate and take that approach of awareness, not judgment, because. This not, might not be, you might be a very productive person and not really, again, be a time management issue. Maybe there's something else going on here, but then we say, oh, I just need to be better at managing my time. Maybe it's being better at managing emotions or thoughts. I. when pro procrastination also becomes harmful is when it disconnects us from what matters most. If we keep delaying important conversations, personal goals, or the meaningful work that we know we're meant to do, we can wake up years later wondering what could have been. This is also, I see a lot in my coaching relationships, is that. A lot of times that inner wisdom, that the inner messaging, we know what we're meant to do, but there's something holding us back. Sometimes just verbalizing that and processing it and becoming aware makes it less emotionally charged so we can take action and really show up in the world in the way we really want to. Now, sorting, procrastination. I'm encouraging then a mindful approach, so rather viewing procrastination as a flaw. We can approach it with curiosity, and when we catch ourselves delaying a task, we can ask some really good questions. Is this resistance based on fear or a need for rest? What emotions am I feeling around this task? What are the thoughts that are provoking that emotion that's causing the behavior that's getting me the outcome that I really don't want, and what small step can I take right now? Those are the questions that I probably would ask you if we were in a coaching conversation and. That would lead to other questions, and that's where the transformation happens is when we really create that awareness Now. This season, we can commit to fasting from unnecessary procrastination. So while also practicing that self-awareness. So I guess I'm taking this fast from procrastination, probably thinking about it a little bit more than what was intended. But instead of overthinking or delaying. Let's embrace that. Do it now that yes, defaulting to yes mindset when we know something is important. But then let's also be mindful that if our hesitation stems from exhaustion or overwhelm, then Maybe the best right next right thing is to pause and recharge. There's a couple practical ways that we can break the cycle here. So first of all, I talked about regulating the nervous system, practicing that deep breathing and movement or mindfulness to shift from that stress response to the state of calm and focus. And then starting small. If a task feels overwhelming, commit to just five minutes. That can tell you a lot about where you are with this, if it's where your mindset is with this.'cause a lot of times starting is the hardest part. And then reframing the task instead of saying, I have to do this, try, I get to do this. It's a small shift that can make a big difference in motivation. And then just giving yourself a short window to complete the task. That'll reduce that tendency to overthink as well. You can, instead of putting it, truly putting the task off to the last moment for that burst of energy that you get when you're against a deadline, you could create your own deadline. Then embracing purposeful rest. If you're procrastinating out of fatigue, take a break, but make it intentional. Step outside, breathe deeply or journal journaling can unearth a lot of thoughts and emotions that we might not even know are running in the background and really. If influencing our behavior or our mindset towards a certain task, and then accountability is important to you. So share your commitment with a friend or a group for support. Share it with your coach. I hope you have one. Now, when we fast from procrastination, which is actually the. Was the catalyst for this whole conversation. It was the encouragement to fast from procrastination and which was really an encouragement to default to, yes, we aren't just being more productive when we do that. We're stepping into a life of intentional action and growth and purpose. So whether you see it as. Faith-driven obedience, or simply making the most of your time, that outcome is really the same. Less regret, more fulfillment, and the knowledge that you are showing up fully for your life instead of waiting for that perfect time. So why not start today? That's a good question to ask yourself too. What am I doing and why not today? Why am I putting this off? Especially when it's relationships, when someone comes to mind and you really feel you wanna reach out to them or you're thinking about them, that's the time when to not procrastinate. Don't wait. Just send a quick text. Make a quick phone call. You just never know what's gonna happen. When we actually do the things that pop into our heads or the things that we're prompted to do. Now breaking the cycle of procrastination and defaulting to yes isn't really, isn't an easy thing to do. I know that especially when there's our deep seated habits or emotions and that stress response are at play. When your nervous system is dysregulated, it's really hard to sort through any of this on your own or in your head. So you need to get out of your head with. This. So journaling again, is a really good way to do that, but this is also where a nurse coach can be a transformative guide. As a nurse coach, we are trained to understand both the physiological and emotional aspects of change and just really helping regulate the nervous system process resistance, and move forward with clarity. And confidence. And that's what I want for you more than anything. I want you to be able to show up as the who you are created to be and show up in the world the way you really want to. So this is why I do what I do, providing that personalized support and accountability, proven strategies that is what nurse coaches are trained to do. Is help shift from stuck to unstoppable and all. Taking all of that nursing background along with change theory and all the things that we're trained to do. for a healthy mind, body, and spirit. It's really going after the whole, your whole life. So if you're ready to stop delaying and start saying yes to your life, to the life that you're really meant to live, and you feel like maybe there's something missing or there's just a roadblock, let's get on the phone and chat and just consider the power of having that dedicated coach by your side. You'd be amazed what we can get done in even 20 minutes. So even if it's just starting with a discovery session and that is free, there's no obligation as a listener, I'm giving to you that free as a gift. And I'd love to just get on the phone and see where you are with this. And maybe this is one thing that you can get past so you can really start defaulting to yes, in your life Now take a moment to just really think about what is it that you have that you, you know you want to do? What is that? Who is that person that you're thinking of? This is where random acts of kindness really comes in when we don't procrastinate, when we don't wait until the opportunity has passed to do the good in the world, in the way that we're meant to do it so I encourage you to take a look at where procrastination is playing a role in holding you back from showing up in the world in the way that you really want to take that balanced approach and. I'm gonna join that challenge of just fast of challenging us to fast from procrastination. So today, that important project, that thing that you've wanted to do, the person you wanted to reach out to, that random act of kindness, don't miss the opportunity. Let's fast from procrastination. and maybe one of those things would be to share this episode. If you enjoy this, share it. That's really helpful, mean the world to me. If you share this episode with someone that you think might really enjoy it, somebody that you can have these conversations with as well. Go on this journey together and get on the list so I can send these episodes to you and we can connect in that way. So maybe that's one thing that you could not procrastinate. Do it right now. Alright. I hope that the fast for procrastination will really help you get a good handle on that mindful approach to the way that you show up in the world, so that if procrastination has been an issue for you and you've felt bad about it and you've been judging yourself about it, that you can lay that down and take a healthy approach, a mindful approach to it, and really get at the root cause and. show up in the world in the way that you really want to as you go out every day and default to yes, your extraordinary self.