"Eliminate Procrastination Today"
Author: Jeffrey Putnam, Life Success Coach

As you read the article below you will discover the nature of procrastination and how to end it once and for all. As a personal life and success coach I have used this technique with hundreds of clients over the years to successfully end this habit in a lasting way.

Procrastination is a problem for most people. The solution is so simple that it seems silly to me. I used to be a master procrastinator. I could have gotten awards for how much I put things off.

My home was a dump and I was always doing things at the last minute. This quickly changed forever once I learned the method I will teach you here.

There are basically four steps that you go through in order to procrastinate. Ironically they are the same four steps you use when you feel motivated and take action. The main difference is the focus of your attention when you do the steps.

Let me explain. Follow along and you will discover exactly how you get yourself to put things off...and how to change it.

First, you notice something that needs to be done. You might see it or be reminded of it somehow. Nevertheless, you realize there is something to do.

Second, you say something to your self about it. You say someting like, "I should do that," or "I really need to get that done."

Third, you make a picture in your head of yourself doing it...whatever it is. For instance, you see yourself paying the bills, doing the laundry, mowing the lawn, etc.

Fourth, you feel bad about it. What you have said to yourself and the picture you make in your head create the "bad" feeling.

All of these steps occur in a split second. In fact, most people have gotten so good at it, that they are not even aware they are doing the steps at all. To them, they notice something needs to be done and they feel bad about it. The other steps happen, but too fast to notice.

Part of great coaching is helping a person to slow down their automatic unconscious processes and notice how they get themselves stuck in the first place.

Anyway, let's get back to the process.

The main steps of this process after you notice that something needs to be done include what you:

Say to yourself,
See in your head,
and feel about what you say and see.

Say, See, Feel is the process you use to procrastinate.

Since all behavior is driven by emotion, when you feel bad, you tend to avoid. Your system for creating a bad feeling works great at getting you to put things off. Rather than doing the thing that causes you to feel bad, you distract yourself with any activity that will remove the pain in the short-term.

You straighten your desk, talk on the phone, watch tv, sleep, eat, anything to avoid focussing on how bad it will feel to do that other activity.

What you are really doing is using pain to get yourself to avoid taking action. Wouldn't it be nice to use pleasure to get yourself to simply get it done?

Strangly, getting yourself to take action immediately involves the same say, see, feel process.

The key to creating instant motivation is to change your focus. This is what I mean.

When you procrastinate, your focus is always on the action that needs to be taken. You say to yourself, "I should do that." The picture in your head is also about the action. You see yourself doing the thing you don't want to do.

In order to create motivation, you simply have to change your focus. You still use say, see, feel, but you say and see the result rather than the action. The feeling will be the pleasure of it being done. Focus on it being done...not doing it.

This process can become automatic and unconscious in a very short period of time. The day after I learned this method and practiced it for an hour, I had the lawn cut, the bills paid, the kitchen cleaned, my laundry done and made a trip to the bank all by 11am.

Now, think of some simple action that you've been putting off. Start with something small like paying the bills or taking out the trash.

On a scale from one to 10, how motivated to you feel to do it right now. Think about it and remember your number.

Notice what you are focussing on. Do you see yourself doing the unpleasant work? Can you understand why you don't feel good about it?

Now, say something to yourself about how you will feel when it is done. Say something like, "It will feel so good when it is finished." Say it with feeling.

Now make a picture in your head of it finished. Make this picture big and bright and colorful. If you want, add movement and sound to the picture. The more attractive it is, the more motivated you will feel.

As you focus on the idea that the work is already finished, notice how you feel about it. By the way, how will it feel when this is done? Won't it be nice to forget about it?

Keep your focus on the outcome you want and ask yourself this question. On a scale from one to 10, how motivated am I to have it be this way...all done?

On this first round you should already see some improvement. If you went from a level 2 to a level 6, you have tripled your motivation.

Most people don't have to be at a level 10 to take action. Most of the time a 7 or 8 will do nicely. If you are not quite there, change the picture. Make it bigger, brighter, add sunlight and some sparkles. Add some sound, like what you will say to yourself when it is done.

You can use this technique in the moment when you need to motivate yourself, but it works best if you simply spend some time conditioning your unconscious to automatically cause you to feel motivated. Once your brain learns to give you images of the result you want, you will feel motivated...automatically.

This can be done by simple repetition. If you spend 5-6 minutes each morning working on this for a week, you will begin to find yourself doing things you used to put off. I was amazed to find myself picking up...without even thinking about it.

I remember the second day I used the technique. I found myself in the kitchen thinking, "hey, I'm doing the dishes!" Before I would have spent half an hour or more staring at them thinking about how much I wish I didn't have to do them. Now, I "find myself" handling them.

Each morning spend five minutes before you start your day. Think about five actions that you need to take that day...that you are not real thrilled about. (doing this for five minutes each morning is something you don't want to put off)

Then, one at a time, say, see and feel the result of each action. Go throught the process over and over again seeing the result clearly so that it creates the emotion at a level seven or higher.

Then move on to the next action on your list...and so on. Do not move to the next item until you are feeling motivated about the one you are on.

Very quickly, your brain will learn to automatically give you pictures in your head of the results you want. These pictures will create the pleasure of the end result...in advance. The pleasure will cause you to act.

I have used this technique with hundreds of clients and it always works. If you have trouble, change your approach. I realize that learning this in an email is not optimal, but you now have enough information to make it work.

Once you master it, teach it to your kids. You will save them (and you) a mountain of pain from putting off school work and more.

If you are serious about taking control of your emotions and would like details about my personal coaching services, you are invited to visit my website at: http://www.jeffputnam.com

I have been a life and success coach for a number of years and have achieved remarkable results in hundreds of clients. While I am rather particular about who I take as a client and my services are not "cheap," the results we create together will be spectacular.

With Passion,

Jeff Putnam
Master Life & Success Coach
(847)948-1050
http://www.jeffputnam.com






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The Author, Jeffrey Putnam is a Master Life & Success Coach Providing personalized life and success coaching to individuals who want more from life.

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