I’ve been meaning to write about procrastination for some time but I just haven’t got around to it… sound familiar?

Procrastination came be obvious and subtle. There is procrastination where you set aside time to do something and then consciously do something else in that time. This might be acceptable once or twice but more than that and you are procrastinating.

Then there’s the more subtle form of procrastination where you think right, “I’m going to get this task done now” and the very next thought is a distraction such as, “but I’ll just check my email/facebook/twitter before I start”. This momentary distraction leads off on a tangent that you only return from some time later with another thought of right, “now I’ve really got to get this done” followed by another thought of “but first I’ll put that load of washing on and sort something out for dinner” and the pattern repeats.

I don’t necessarily believe that procrastination is about lack of will power or discipline. Yes you can use these brute force approaches to grit your teeth, force yourself to do things, and beat yourself up when you don’t get things done but I prefer a more gentle approach of using EFT to work on the emotions underneath the behaviour and building a habit of getting things done.

So how can EFT help you with procrastination?

First identify an important task or project that you have been procrastinating getting started. The sort of thing that you know needs to be done but you just haven’t got around to doing. Make sure it a specific well defined task of some importance. Write that task down and have it handy to look at while you do the following tapping sequence. You can use this EFT Tapping Points Guide.

Karate Chop Point:	Even though I keep procrastinating instead of getting this task done, I want to accept myself. Even though, whenever I sit down to get started on this task, there always seems to be something more important to do first, I choose to become even more aware of this habit. Even though I’m annoyed at myself for not getting this task done but sometimes feel like I’m powerless to do anything differently, I choose to accept myself anyway.
Top of Head:	Can’t get this tasked started
Eyebrows:	Always seems to be something else wanting my attention
Side of Eyes:	Sometimes I’m not even aware that I’m procrastinating
Under Eyes	Got to get this done
Under Nose:	Frustrated at myself
Chin Point:	I should be stronger, more focused, more disciplined, have stronger will power
Collarbones:	Why aren’t I more focused?
Under Arms:	Maybe I’ve got ADD/ADHD; but probably not
Wrists:	So frustrated and annoyed at myself

Continue on for another round to target some of the thought patterns that accompany procrastination:

Top of Head:	All the excuses I can come up with for not getting this task done, like:
Eyebrows:	There’s more I need to know before I can begin
Side of Eyes:	I haven’t thought it all through yet
Under Eyes	What if I don’t do it right? I have to do it perfectly the first time.
Under Nose:	I’ll look at it again tomorrow
Chin Point:	I just not motivated right now
Collarbones:	I’m too tired, hungry, awake, hungover, low on caffeine
Under Arms:	It’s a Monday, Tuesday, any day ending in ‘y’
Wrists:	It can wait. I work better under pressure.

Now some tapping to develop the habit of noticing yourself procrastinating and recognising the choice you have in that moment.

Karate Chop Point:	Even though I can always find something else to do, I choose to notice when my attention is distracted. Even though, when I start to do this task, my mind fills with other things I want to do, I choose to catch myself before I make a move away from what I need to get done. Even though I think of myself as an expert procrastinator, I choose become even more expert at noticing when I start to become distracted and choose to respond differently when I notice myself procrastinating and bring my attention gently back to the task I want to get done.
Eyebrows:	Noticing when my attention drifts
Side of Eyes:	Catching myself in the gap between thought and action
Under Eyes	Becoming even more aware when my thoughts wander
Under Nose:	Catching myself as those other thoughts come up
Chin Point:	Asking myself is that really more important than this, or can it wait
Collarbones:	Gently guiding my attention back to getting this task done
Under Arms:	Wanting to get this task completed
Wrists:	Feeling good as I get things done and break that old habit of procrastination

Like doing physical exercise, motivation is not needed to start exercising if we realise that motivation comes from that act of starting to exercise. Once we start we remember how much we enjoy it and continue on with the activity.

Our behaviour is shaped by our actions even more so than our thoughts. If you consistently take action you become that person. Use the above tapping consistently to break your habit of procrastinating and enjoy the satisfaction and pride of becoming someone who gets things done.

Related Posts:

• Fear of what will other people will think of me?
• How to Take a Break and Enjoy It!
• Using EFT for when You’re Always Running Late
• Perfection is the Lowest Standard
• Lindsay Kenny: EFT for Procrastination and Feeling Stuck

Tags: boredom, getting things done, habit, perfectionist, procrastinating, procrastination, will power

This entry was posted on Thursday, July 23rd, 2009 at 8:20 am and is filed under Uncategorised. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or pingback from your own site.