Let’s talk about that little voice in our head you know the one that either encourages us to go do something else – thus procrastinating, or the other one… the critical one… the one that tells us how much we suck because we didn’t get the things done we set out to do. It’s important to listen to these voices as they can have a significant impact on our lives both consciously and subconsciously.
Why is it important to listen to those voices? Because they have an impact on your life both on a conscious and a subconscious level. Let’s start with that critical voice because I think in the long run it’s the most negative of the two. It can lead to self-blame, lack of motivation, and ultimately, failure to achieve our goals. Nobody is perfect. We all have good days and bad days. The key is to become aware of it and defuse it.
Become aware of it and when you hear it, defuse it. You can do this by responding to it out loud or in writing (via a journal). Or go up and do something else. Do whatever it takes to silence that voice. A great option is to prove it wrong by doing something productive. Over time that voice will speak up less and less unless you indulge it by paying attention to it and letting it ruin your day.
Let’s tackle the voice in your head that tells you it’s much more fun to do just about anything other than what you should be doing. We all have that voice. It’s why we come up with terms like procrasticleaning and procrasticrafting. We can get pretty innovative when it comes to doing anything but the thing we don’t want to work on and that little voice is feeding us suggestions and cheering us on.
The best way to diffuse this particular voice into something more productive is with “yes, and” statements. Acknowledge the suggestion, but bribe yourself by saying you’ll do it after you’ve completed your task.
Listening to our inner voice and changing our dialogue can help us beat procrastination and achieve our goals. Don’t let negative self-talk hold you back from success.