This is something many, many people struggle with.
Myself included, however, have got significantly better over the last several years.
Procrastination.
We all battle it, some far worse than others.
In this blog post, I am going to reveal my shockingly simple system on how I get shit done!
Is there a way to end procrastination forever?
What about putting an end to unhealthy habits?
I am 38 years old, and alcohol has been an Achilles heel of mine.
I’d say I was a borderline alcoholic.
On Easter Sunday of this year, I woke up. The night before I had two drinks, so I was not nursing a hangover. I told myself I was going to challenge myself to quit drinking for 30 days. Now, I had done 30 day challenges in the past. Ahem, I have attempted 30 day ‘no alcohol’ challenges in the past, but very rarely completed 30 consecutive days. I’d go a week or two and fall off the wagon. When you tell yourself you’re going to do something, and fault to follow through, it erodes your confidence. You’re self doubt skyrockets.
I had very little faith that this time was going to be the time.
Now, I had not got into trouble or done anything stupid, however, I knew I needed to make a change. I decided to write it down on my weekly Action Planner (see video below for more details). Checking off the ‘No Alcohol’ box each day was exhilarating after a couple weeks. I was watching my progress improve each & everyday — a powerful part of the system I reveal below.
The first couple weeks were a struggle, as Saturday nights I was used to drinking. It was an unhealthy habit I had developed over the years.
30 days had passed and I wondered to myself:
Could I make it to 40? What about 50?
Both those milestones quickly passed, then I set my eyes on the 100 day mark. 100 days without drinking would be the longest sober streak for me since I was 19 — 19 years ago!
I smashed through the 100 day mark. As I write this, I have not had a sip of alcohol in 233 days, nor do I need to track it on my weekly sheet. Unreal to me, and it has been far easier than I thought it would be. A big reason I was able to achieve this is because I truly wanted it.
Another reason is because I wrote it down in the beginning. Seeing those check marks next to ‘No Alcohol’ really motivated me to keep going. I share the Action Planner in the video below.
Is Procrastination Holding You Back from Achieving Your Dreams?
Last month, I attended a YouTube Influencers even here at the Red Rock casino.
It’s hosted by Sean Cannell, a YouTuber I have been following for quite some time.
Now, I am not a social butterfly when I got to these types of events, and am quite shy. There were probably 50 other people there, and I spoke with a 5 or 6 of the guys there. Sadly, I noticed a common theme among these men.
The first guy I met has been in the “planning stage” of his YouTube channel. If I remember correctly, been planning for more than a year. He told me he’s moving in January or February, so that is another reason. I told him, you can do YouTube anyhwere.
Another guy I met, has a channel, but has not published a video in over two years. He told me he simply just doesn’t have the time, as he’s got a photography business. He doesn’t have kids, but is married.
The last guy I met was at the end. A younger guy, and he told me he’s going to launch his channel soon. He seemed like a bright guy, and told me he has the time.
Now, some of these could have been legit excuses not to start a channel, but I sensed it was something more. Something they were ashamed to share with me/others, as we’ll all strangers.
The fear of failure.
The fear of the camera.
The fear of judgment — what I find holds 93.4% of people back (a statistic I made up, but sadly, is probably quite accurate)
Of the guys I spoke with, my 600 subscribers were the largest following. Many were astonished when I told them I had published 330+ videos over the years. I told them I have been consistent with producing a video twice a week since July, as the first several years I had no strategy/schedule in place.
They asked how I was so disciplined, and I told them, I write it down.
How to Dominate Your To Do List
The other day, I was on the Twitter, and I shared my shockingly simple approach to dominating my to do list.
In 2014, I read a book called The Miracle Morning, and it transformed my life. It is a powerful book, and recommend every person on planet earth to read it. In it, the author, Hal Elrod, reveals his simple morning routine:
S – Silence
A – Affirmations
V – Visualize
E – Exercise
R – Read
S – Scribing (writing)
These are the six habits he does every morning before he starts his day.
I know what you’re likely thinking:
That would take two hours!
In my Lee Corso voice, Not so fast my friend!
Elrod shares a six MINUTE morning routine on his website here.
You simply have no excuse.
I started doing a very similar morning routine in early 2015. I have not deviated much since then, and find it essential to a productive day.
My Old School Wicked Ways
I have tried various different “to do list” apps over the years, and after a few weeks, I forget to log my daily disciplines.
Years ago, I tried tracking it in an Excel spreadsheet, and like the apps, after several weeks, I stopped logging my habits.
What has worked for me, is a pen and piece of paper. nothing sexy nor fancy about it. This is a spreadsheet I got from Darren Hardy years ago, and have adapted it to fit my style. I break it down into the four pillars of life, in order of importance: Mind, Health, Relationships and Wealth. If you’ve noticed, this very site has those same four blog categories. I aim to complete a couple daily habits in each of those categories.
At the end of each week, I tally up my score, as a way to measure my progress. A quote I say often:
You cannot improve what you do not measure.
My goal each week is to accomplish 88% of my weekly habits.
Someone on Twitter asked why 88%?
This is a funny answer, as there is absolutely ZERO research behind it, and it is not from some scientific study. My birthday is August 8, 1981, so it’s 8/8/81, and I love the #8. That’s the reason for 88%. I circle my percentage and file it away in my desk. I have years of action planners stored away to reflect on.
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Wrapping It All Up
I highly, highly recommend you giving this a shot, if procrastination is something that you struggle with. Give it 7 days, or better yet, a full month, or writing out your daily disciplines. If you commit to it, I would be absolutely shocked if you did not see a near instant increase in your confidence and self worth, among many other positive attributes.
In the video below, I go deeper into it.
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