If I could pick one thing that has set me back the most in life, it’s procrastination. I used to be a serial procrastinator, and I was notorious for it. I have lost count of the number of times procrastination has cost me. The real world impact has been mind-boggling — money, job positions, opportunities, relationships, and what not.

By the time I was aware of it, I had lost too much. It had grown to the level of a challenge that I simply could not shake off.

I decided to pit at it heads-on, because it was high time I did that.

My first step was to figure out what triggered my procrastination. It was almost always laziness, and sometimes anxiety too. I found myself procrastinating difficult tasks often! I realized that it was anxiety that triggered the same.

After a lot of brainstorming, I decided to attack it with a two pronged approach:

1. First, I started relying on a Todo system based on GTD. I dumped all my tasks in there, and prioritized the toughest ones. It took me a while, but the todo system now helps me go forward.
2. Next, I started relying on some psychological hacks. Whenever I am faced at procrastinating a task due to anxiety, I close my eyes and close my heart around the feeling that causes me anxiety. I paint a mental picture of hugging my anxiety in a tight, warm, embrace. I would feel my anxiety melt away – thus helping me face the task, head-on.

Thanks to a combination of these approaches, I feel that I am on top of my anxiety and it helps me stay grounded. As a result, I see myself procrastinating very less. I will be honest, this is still a work in progress, but I know that I am in the right track, and I see a marked difference in my day to day things. 🤗