Episode Transcript
[00:00:07] Speaker A: You gotta be bold. This story gotta be told. Own your fierceness gon and glow. This is Sonja Empowers Show. Stay on go like a lion who on the prowl Sonja Sells help you get it. We doing it and doing it now.
[00:00:28] Speaker B: Hey, empowered disruptors. Welcome back to the Sonja empowers show where I ignite your online business and help you own your fierceness. Embrace your unique beauty, talents and strengths. Rise above fear and step into your destiny as you build empires and shatter expectations together.
Today, we're tackling the silent saboteur of success. Procrastination. That's right, procrastination. We've all danced with it, wrestled with it, and sometimes let it win. But let's change that today.
What is it really? Procrastination isn't a simple case of laziness. It's a complex psychological tango of avoidance driven by fear, perfectionism, and a fundamental misunderstanding of our internal drive. We postpone not because we lack desire, but because we dread the initial discomfort.
We fear the shadow of failure, whispering, what if it's not good enough? We fear the weight of success, the unknown changes it brings. And we fear the initial discomfort of starting the uphill climb that awaits us.
Then there's the perfectionist trap.
If it's not flawless, why bother? This leads to analysis, paralysis, where we drown in planning and never surface to execute. And here's a crucial point we misunderstand. Motivation. We wait for the perfect moment, the lightning bolt of inspiration. But motivation often trails action. Start small, take that first step and the momentum will carry you. Procrastination is also a master of emotional avoidance.
It's a quick fix for anxiety, boredom, or overwhelm. But that temporary relief leads to a vicious cycle of guilt and stress.
So it's a complex web, not a simple flaw, and is a learned behavior, one we can unlearn.
And the cost?
Missed opportunities, crippling stress, and a stalled business. Okay, and if your business is stalled, then that means you're not generating a revenue and turning over a healthy profit like you so deserve. Okay, so it's the silent thief of your potential.
But we can fight back, y'all. Okay? Literally, hold up. Hold up your hands and balled up your fist like you're getting ready to box.
Because you're going to fight back and you are going to win.
Action, even tiny action breeds confidence, reduces stress and builds momentum.
Let's arm ourselves with some new strategies today.
One, Implement the two minute rule. If a task takes less than two minutes, do it immediately.
Use task chunking.
Break down large Projects into smaller time boxed segments.
Embrace imperfect action.
Focus on progress over perfection.
Just start and refine as you go. Okay, this is exactly what I'm doing with this podcast. This podcast is not perfect, but guess what? I am so proud of myself. I feel empowered because I am getting so much feedback, like positive feedback because so discerning this podcast and so I have forward momentum. Like it's only going to get better as time progresses because I'm not stopping no time soon.
Also create if then plans, meaning if I feel the urge to procrastinate, then I will work for 15 minutes. Okay, good example. I know that I need to increase my water intake, especially after having gallbladder surgery this month. Like at the time of this recording, it's April. It's April, the month of April.
And so I'm like, okay, I want to start drinking more water. Okay. But sometimes my mind is saying, you don't feel like drinking water. It doesn't have any flavor. So what do I do? I keep a bottle of water close by me and I take a sip of water. Okay, so next, practice mindful productivity. Meaning be present with each task, minimizing distractions and maximizing focus. You can do this by turning off all notifications for a certain amount of time.
You can set a tomato timer. You don't know what that is, Google it. And that can really increase your productivity. You can place blocked focus time on your calendar. Okay. And let that be a non negotiable, like focus time on my calendar. And I'm not going to let anything get in the way of me having that focus time. All right. Find a body double. Okay. Work alongside someone else, even virtually to create a sense of shared accountability.
Use the same field strategy. Don't break the chain every day. Do a little something and mark it on a calendar. The visual progress is powerful.
Employ the five second rule. When you feel the urge to procrastinate, count down from five and take immediate action.
And lastly, focus on starting rituals. Okay, now this is not some kind of, ooh, you know, hokey pokey stuff. It is simply creating a short routine to begin work. Like, you know, a specific song or a cup of tea. Like, for example, you know, this podcast, it starts off with a very energetic, high energetic, upbeat song right to where it's like, even if you come and you listen to the podcast and you don't feel good, like when you start, you know, like, okay, let me just listen to something. When you hear that beat, it should bring about like, oh, like energy, momentum. Let's go, I'm fired up, you know, And I did that particularly when I was working with the artist. I was like, I need something that's empowering, that's upbeat, that's motivating, that will really, like, get people, you know, pumped up. And he executed on that. Okay, so start you a ritual. Okay, one that's empowering.
With that being said, it is time for that Fab assignment. You guessed it. Your fierce action breakthrough assignment. And this episode Fab Assignment is number one. Identify your procrastination Persona. What role do you play when you procrastinate? For example, the perfectionist, the avoider, the overwhelmed. Name it and write it down. 2. Choose two new strategies. Select two of the new strategies we discussed and implement them for the next week.
3. Create an action log. Instead of just tracking tasks, track how you felt before, during, and after taking action.
Note any shifts in your mindset.
Next, celebrate micro victories. Acknowledge and reward yourself for even the smallest acts of action. Focus on the feeling of forward motion.
And lastly, write a future self letter. Write a short letter to your future self describing how taking action this week has positively impacted your goals. Remember, action is the antidote to procrastination. You have the power to ignite your productivity and propel your business forward.
Thank you for tuning in to this episode of the Sonja Empowers Show. I I'd love to hear your feedback. Leave a review on your favorite podcast platform. Connect with me on social media @sonjasells. If you enjoyed this episode, please like share and subscribe.
For more business empowerment resources, visit sonjasells.com and for additional resources on personal growth and inspiration, visit chakeletdrapinspired. Com. Until next time, Empowered Disruptors Break free. Be fierce.
