“I will do that during the last month, it will be more than enough . What a waste of time for such a tiresome task”.
That ‘s what I told myself a few years ago when we were advised to start looking for internships 3-6 months earlier.
During the two previous years, I had always had last-minute opportunities from my network; friend, mentor, teacher. So I was confident with my approach to procrastinate applying to internships on purpose.
Guess what. I indeed get a chance from my network again.
Oops, I missed it afterward just before I had to sign the contract because of my fault.
Then I found myself with zero opportunity, zero. I had to start prospecting from scratch. I was devastated with regrets. It took me two months to get a new chance.
What is the problem?
Lesson 1: Chronic procrastinators are not even aware they have a procrastination’s issue. It is so deeply rooted in their behavior that they believe it is reasonable to always deliver at the last minute.
Lesson 2: Chronic procrastinators don’t take massive action to create many opportunities. They are too optimistic about their conversion ratio.
How often are you following through with prospects you couldn’t reach the first time?
Lesson 3: Chronic procrastinators lack specific and repeatable steps to get pass through the inertia to start and stay consistent.
The mainstream advice says, “just get started, show up, the momentum will build up through little steps. Believe in yourself, stay confident.” So people believe it is supposed to be easy to act on a regular basis. Unfortunately, It couldn’t be far from the truth. Fear of rejection, aversion to hard work are powerful to hold you back from moving forward.
How can you set a task you naturally hate a priority without tyrannizing yourself? How can you engage smoothly with something you don’t like?
Solution : Set proper emotional conditions for “Unconscious collaboration”
Your conscious mind and unconscious mind act as a team. Always start by making them agree together when trying to achieve any difficult task. Otherwise, you will feel a huge internal resistance because of inner conflict. That’ s why you find it hard to be start , concentrate and stay consistent over a long period of time.
Here are simple effective tactics:
Step 1: Digest passive content about “phone call prospection” for 3 consecutive days.
If I told you right now, ” tomorrow we are going to run 10 km”. I am sure you would be tired just thinking about it. And you will shift your mind to something else. It is due to the invisible inner resistance to running.
This inner resistance exists for any skill you are going to learn. That is why you better take care of it first before you take action, otherwise you will struggle later.
TO reduce this mental resistance, Listen to Podcast about propection, read blogs, see YouTube video. The idea isn’t to acquire knowledge, but to program your unconscious mind to acknowledge speaking in public as something less frightened.
Step 2: Print images that remind you instantly of” prospection”
Put them on the walls near the places you tend to be when you procrastinate: bed, TV, coffee machine, kitchen, toilet,etc
Within 3-5 days, your sensation of guilt will increase.Before 7 days, you will start prospecting without planning. That is the power of unconscious tracking.
Step 3: Reward yourself before you start
Drink a coffee/ tee/ juice, take a yogurt, eat fruit, chips just before engaging in prospecting. However, don’t end the reward before you finish working.
You will observe how suddenly your resistance to work disappears.
I challenge you to apply this advice starting tomorrow.
HEUDOU TCHIHIKOU Aubin
A Master chronic procrastinator who chose to execute on its dreams because of frustration and self-criticism.
SIDYA
good advices taking everything step by step