Like a lot of people, I master the art of procrastination. It sometimes seems to be the most effective way to get things done. For perfectionist people, it can be a better approach to avoid wasting time by getting too deep into the subject. The stress it gives you can also help you keep focus and work faster. I think that procrastination have benefits in some cases, but not all.
I’m convinced that it works for things that have a precise ending in time, because you know that the task will be done before due date whether you procrastinate or not, but what if the project doesn’t have an end date? If we’re talking about a project or dream that you want to accomplish, there’s no date. You can procrastinate endlessly, which in that case isn’t good if you want to get something done during your lifespan.
This is the hard part, nothing/nobody is pushing you to do something about it and the consequences are unclear, so you have to motivate yourself. More often than not, you’re stuck at the beginning, maybe you’re scared about it, or maybe you don’t know where to start. If you’re just scared, feel free to read my article about fear, it could help you. If you don’t know where to start, my best advice would be to start by gathering information about what you’re about to do so you’ll get a good understanding of the subject and at the same time confirm that you’re still interested in it. Once you know the subject, start with whatever you think is a good place to begin with, you can follow the advice of experts or just go with what you feel is the better for you, everybody is different so there is no predefined path, especially for creative and spiritual activities. If you want to actually make a living out of the activity, I think that you should do it your own way, it will make you stand apart from the rest.
Maybe you also need more money to invest in some equipment or material, sadly I can’t help you much with this one. Beside reorganizing your priorities to waste less money, you’ll have to work your way to get some kind of loan or just work more. It’s not nice but it’s the best I can say for now, I still have to do this myself too. When I’ll find a better way, I’ll tell you!
So, to keep your motivation, here’s a few tips I use:
- Remember that the sooner you’ll start, the sooner you’ll get results.
- Write your aspirations somewhere and read them whenever you get the chance so you’ll keep your goals in mind.
- Visualize yourself proud at the end of it and seeing the good it will bring to you.
- Don’t let too much time slip between every session that you’re working on your project, because time kills momentum. I try to work every day or every 2-3 days on my projects, that way I don’t have to remember all the project each time because it is still fresh in my mind and it doesn’t seem like a mountain everytime I come back to it.
Ok, the next two tips are contradictory but I found that they work for me each in their own way even if they are completely opposite:
- Surround yourself with ambitious people that have the same kind of goals as you. Seeing close people having success in their life (and being happy) will motivate you to do like them and reach your own goals. You can learn a lot from these people, be sure to listen to what they have to say.
- Surround yourself with people that don’t have much goals. Seeing people that don’t have any life projects or goals (and a boring standard life) will motivate you to not do like them. These ones are pretty easy to find, pretty much anyone who’s working a standard 9 to 5 job and contributing to a retirement fund is part of this in my opinion. You know who I’m talking about, these people are always complaining about their job but they keep doing it year after year. You obviously don’t want to be like them, but you can sure use them to get some motivation.
And lastly:
- Don’t be afraid to be yourself and experiment with life, you won’t get anywhere worth of interest by doing the same thing as everybody do.
Note: You still have to respect your body though, don’t push yourself too much or you’ll soon become ineffective. If your body is telling you to take some rest, you should probably take it easy. If you’re just lacking motivation, motivate yourself and start working towards your goals!