27. Overcoming Procrastination: Unlocking Your Confidence

Hello everyone and welcome back to another episode of Beyond Doubt, Unleashing Confidence.

This is a podcast that helps you silence the inner critic, kick self-doubt to the curb and step into your most confident self. I'm your host Neffy and I'm absolutely chuffed to have you here with me today. Now let's be real for a second, how many of you have ever felt yourself staring at a to-do list that's longer than a queue at the post office on a Monday morning, only to end up binge-watching Bake Off Returns. Reruns instead. Yeah, I see you, but don't worry, you are not alone.

Procrastination is that sneaky little gremlin that loves to whisper, you've got time, just do it later. Here's the thing, later often turns into never, and suddenly you're drowning in overwhelm. But guess what? Today we're tackling that gremlin head on. We're talking about overcoming procrastination and I've got two powerful tools to share with you. Time blocking strategies and how to deal with overwhelm.

Plus since it's mid-month we'll do a little review to make sure you're on track to finish the month strong.

So grab your favorite cuppa get comfy and let's dive in part one mid-month review. All right let's start with a quick mid-month review how's it going so far are you smashing your goals are you feeling like you're stuck in neutral no judgment here just honesty so take a moment to reflect. What were your top three priorities for this month? Have you made progress or have they been sitting on the back burner collecting dust like that gym membership you'd swore you'd use?

Here's the thing, mid-month is the perfect time to recalibrate. It's like checking in to your sat-nav during a road trip. If you've taken the wrong turn, no worries, you can always reroute. So, if you're feeling behind, don't panic. Instead, ask yourself, one, what's one thing I can accomplish by the end of this week? Two, what's been holding me back? And if you're really smashing it, high five to you. But don't get complacent. Use this momentum to keep going.

Remember, confidence isn't about being perfect. It's about making progress.

So let's use this mid-month check-in as a springboard to finish the month strong. Part two, why we procrastinate. now let's talk about why we procrastinate in the first place because let's face it we all know procrastination is bad for us yet we still do it why is that well there are a few reasons first our brains are wired to seek pleasure and avoid pain so when a task feels overwhelming boring or just plain difficult, our brain says, nope, let's do something fun instead.

Second, procrastination is often linked to fear. Fear of failure, fear of success, or even the fear of the unknown. It's like standing at the edge of a diving board. The longer you stand there, the scarier it gets. And third, sometimes we procrastinate because we're perfectionists. We want everything to be just right so we put it off until we feel quote-unquote ready but here's the kicker you'll never feel 100% ready understanding while we procrastinate is the first step to overcoming.

It so the next time you catch yourself procrastinating ask yourself what's really going on here? Am I avoiding something because it's hard, scary, or boring?

Part three, time blocking strategies. Now let's talk about one of my favourite tools for overcoming procrastination, time blocking. If you've never tried it, time blocking is like giving you a day. Cool blueprint. Sorry guys, I just got distracted with my phone. Is that a form of procrastination? No, I think that's just distraction. Okay, so... What was I talking about? We are talking about time blocking. So if you've never tried it, time blocking is just like giving your day a blueprint.

Instead of flying off by the seat of your pants, you assign specific blocks of time to specific tasks. Here's how it works. One, start with your non-negotiables. These are the things that absolutely must get done, like work meetings, gym sessions or picking up the kids. Lock these out first. 2. Assign focus workbooks. Dedicate chunks of your time to your most important tasks. For example, if you're working on a big project, lock out two hours in the morning when you're most productive. 3.

Schedule breaks. Yes, breaks are non-negotiable too. you are not a robot and trying to power through without rest is a one-way ticket to burnout. But here's the secret sauce, be realistic. Don't try to cram 10 hours of work into an 8-hour day, that's just setting yourself up for failure. Instead leave some bathroom time for the unexpected because life happens. And let's not forget the golden rule, stick to the plan.

It's so easy to get distracted by notifications, emails or that sudden urge to reorganize your suck drawer. But when you've committed to the time block, treat it like a meeting with yourself. Would you bail on a meeting with your boss at work? No, you wouldn't. So, don't bail on yourself. Give time blocking a try this week. Start small. Maybe just block out your mornings for focus at work and see how it transforms your productivity.

Part 4. Dealing with overwhelm. Now, let's talk about overwhelm. because even the best time blocking strategies even with the best time blocking strategies there are days when everything feels too much you know those days when your to-do list looks like a novel and when your brain feels like it's running on one percent battery first things first breathe seriously take a deep breath in and out It's...

Overwhelm often starts in the mind but it shows up in the body so grounding yourself is step one, next break it down overwhelm happens when we try to tackle everything at once so that massive to-do list so take that massive to-do list and break it into bite-sized pieces what's one small thing you can do right now maybe it's sending that email or drafting the first paragraph of your report just focus on that one thing and here's a pro tip set boundaries sometimes overwhelm comes

from saying yes to too many things learn to say no politely but firmly your time and energy are precious so guard them like a dragon guarding its treasure finally ask for help you don't have to do it all alone whether it's delegating tasks at work asking friends to watch the kids for an hour reaching out is a sign of strength not weakness.

Remember overwhelm is temporary you've got this part five book recommendation, now let's take a break from the strategies and talk about a book that i absolutely love and that ties in perfectly with today's topic. It's called Eat That Frog by Brian Tracy. If you've never heard of it, the title comes from a saying by Mark Twain. If it's your job to eat a frog, it's best to do it first thing in the morning.

In other words, tackle your biggest, most important task first thing in the day, if that's when you're the most productive. This book is packed with practical tips on how to stop procrastinating and get more done in less time. It's a quick read but it's incredibly impactful. Tracy covers everything from prioritisation to time management and he does it in a way that's both motivational and actionable.

So if you're looking for a book to help you overcome procrastination and boost productivity, eat that frog. It's a fantastic choice. You can find it on Amazon, at your local bookstore or even as an audiobook if you prefer to listen on the go.

I'll put a link to the Amazon in the description. Part six, my coaching clients Priya story. Now let me tell you about one of my life coaching clients Priya. Priya is a marketing manager with a big project deadline looming.

She's been procrastinating for weeks telling herself she'll start tomorrow but tomorrow never comes and now she's overwhelmed when Priya came to me she was feeling stuck she knew she needed to get started but the project felt too big and scary so we started by doing a mid-month review just like we talked about earlier Priya realized she'd been avoiding the project because it felt overwhelming there was a bit of imposter syndrome going on in there as well because

she felt like she wasn't qualified for that job even though her boxes had given it to her so she clearly had the talent but anyway together we break it down Priya used time blocking to dedicate two hours each morning to the project she also set boundaries saying no to extra meetings and some social events that would eat into her work time at first it was tough Priya still felt the pull of procrastination but she reminded herself why this project was important.

She took deep breaths when she felt overwhelmed and focused on one task at a time. By the end of the month, Pru not only finished her project on time but she felt a huge boost in confidence. She realised that she was capable of more than she thought and that feeling spilled over into other areas of her life.

Priya's story is a reminder that overcoming procrastination is possible it's not about being perfect it's about taking small consistent steps and because Priya's did so well in that project she's been given bigger and bigger projects at work and she you know at first she like panics and is like oh I can't do this but you know once we break it down she tackles it she smashes it and then she gets up she gets given another project so I'm very proud

of her anyway anyway the point of the story is just to remind you that procrastination overcoming procrastination is possible it's part seven how this connects to your brain and confidence, now let's talk about how all of this connects your brain and confidence when you procrastinate Your brain is essentially in a state of conflict. The prefrontal cortex, which is responsible for planning and decision making, is at odds with the limbic system.

Which seeks immediate gratification. But when you take control, whether it's through time blocking, breaking tasks down or setting boundaries, you're strengthening your prefrontal cortex. You're training your brain to prioritise long-term rewards over short-term pleasures. And here's the kicker, every time you follow through on a task, you're building confidence.

It's like a muscle the more you use it the stronger it gets so overcoming procrastination isn't just about getting things done it's about proving to yourself that you're capable and that my friends is a huge confidence booster that's the part eight summing up. All right my friends let's recap we've talked about the power of a mid-month review why we procrastinate, how time blocking can help you take control of your day and strategies to deal with overwhelm when it feels too much.

Now here's your challenge for the week. One, do a quick mid-month review, celebrate your wins and adjust where needed. Two, try time blocking for at least one day. See how it feels to take charge of your schedule. Three, when overwhelm hits, and it will hit, pause, breathe, and break it down. If you found this episode helpful, share it with a friend who can use a little confidence boost. Let's build a community of people who are doing, who are done with procrastination and ready to take action.

Before I go, I want to remind you to check out my free resources and coaching services at rentnephewwellness.com. Whether you're looking for tips and productivity, confidence building, or just need a bit of guidance, there's something there for you. Plus, I'd love to hear from you. Drop me a message and let me know how you're getting on with today's strategies.

Thank you so much for tuning in to Beyond Doubt, Unleashing Confidence. Remember, confidence isn't about having all the answers it's about trusting yourself to figure it out along the way until next time keep shining keep growing and keep believing in yourself you've got this all right i'll see you in the next episode bye.