Do the Dang Thing (How to overcome procrastination to accomplish your goals)

In the podcast's debut episode, I talk about procrastination and the common reason behind it: fear of failure or perfectionism.

I know from my own experience that getting started on a project can be difficult, especially when it's something I've been thinking about for a long time. I want to share some of the things I've learned along the way, like breaking down tasks into small chunks, creating deadlines, and removing distractions.

I also talk about how we need to normalize imperfection in this era of social media comparison, because nearly everyone stumbles when they try something new, which is why I am letting you witness my own imperfect podcast as I learn along the way instead of waiting until I have something completely polished to share.

I encourage listeners to be proud of every accomplishment and to not wait for things to be perfect before taking action. And remember, taking that first step is key, no matter how messy it is. Even if you fall along the way, what matters is whether you get back up.

Join me on this journey as we overcome our fears and procrastination and take that first step towards our goals, together.

Transcript

Hey there. Welcome to the Friend in Your Ear podcast. I'm your host, Luna Smith, and I will be that friend inside your ear. Well, we explore all things self-improvement. I'll share tips, motivation and positivity to help you live your best life. From health and wellness to career and relationships. I've got you covered because that's what friends are for, right?

So tune in every week for a friendly chat to brighten your day. And let's make every day a little better together, shall we, friend? And now on with the show.

Hey there. I hope you're doing well and that you're having a great week. Today I wanted to talk about procrastination, and thus this episode is called Do the Dang Thing, which of course is much easier said than done.

There are many reasons we might procrastinate, but I want to discuss today the reason I find myself most often procrastinating and I know it's a very common one for others. So if you find yourself procrastinating and you think it is because of a fear of failure or perfectionism at the core, then this is an episode for you.

So in line with that, I've had this idea for this podcast for a long time now. I don't mean this particular episode, I mean like the actual podcast. And it's been a very long time in the making in terms of actually getting it done. And out there. And so I wanted to share some of the things that I've learned along the way in my own life in general, as well as in this experience, because I think a lot of it is something that isn't really out there for the world

You know, in this day and age, we tend to just see the finished product. Most of the time, we don't see the messy part in the middle or even the beginning--the very beginning--those first stumbling steps. But I think it's important to talk about that because it is very common, because nobody's perfect. There is no such thing as perfection. And thus we need to try to let that go.

So let's let's try to normalize imperfection, because that is what actually exists in our human world. Let's focus on being messy and stumbling and falling. Just. Just doing it. Just taking that first step. And if you fall, you get right back up again. Just like a baby taking its first steps. I mean, I don't know if you have kids or not, but that is exactly what they do. They don't know any differently. They just know that they want to walk. And it's natural for them to try. And they fall all the time. They take a step. They fall down. They get back up. They try it again and again and again until at last they are walking and soon running, and that is exactly what is possible if we first take one little baby step.

It doesn't matter how many times you fall. What matters is if you get back up. So let's put aside those feelings of fear about what that messy step may look like, because it will probably be messy. Just like I'm sure these podcasts are going to be messy because I'm figuring it out as I go. It's something I wanted to do and I don't have experience, but it's the only way that you actually make it happen is if you first try and the only way that you definitely guarantee failure is if you don't try. So I'm trying and I appreciate you for listening. Thank you for being here, experiencing me, doing the dang thing.

It's never going to be perfect. There are always more edits you can make. There's always more you can add to something. And if you are a perfectionist or a recovering perfectionist, like I am, then that is a struggle that we face is that we feel like until it's absolutely exactly as we want it, we cannot show anyone or we cannot released into the world.

And so I wanted to actually do this podcast episode while I'm in the beginning of it, because I wanted to show that I'm not waiting until it's perfect. I'm just doing it because if I don't, if I keep waiting, if I keep working on it, then I'm never going to have it exactly just right.

The only way to really get in there and to learn and to make something happen is just to do it. Don't wait till it's perfect. Just put the mess out there. And. And then we show to ourselves that it's possible we're making a step. And making that step helps to give us the confidence to make the next step. Just like the baby walking. Every little success that you have is evidence to yourself that you are capable.

If you make that first step and then you fall down. Well, now you know, you can make that first steps and you get back up. You make that step, you make another step, and that's how we get over that fear of falling down. That fear of failure or things not being perfect is we just have to get up there and accept the fact that we are going to stumble and fall and fail. It's just human nature and we might not be seeing it as much as it actually exists out in the world, but it is there. Know that it is there--that everyone stumbles and falls and fails.

So where do we start? How do we overcome this procrastination and the the best way is to take whatever this large task is. Maybe it isn't a large task, but for the most part, if something feels too overwhelming to us, that may cause us to procrastinate as well. So it might not necessarily be the perfectionism or the fear of failure. It might just be that it just seems too big and overwhelming. So if we can take whatever that task is or that goal that we want to achieve or project for taking on whatever it is, if we break it into smaller steps, it really helps to make a difference because it makes it less overwhelming.

You can just do one of those little tiny steps at a time, and each one of those little steps that you check off is in more evidence to yourself that you are capable and you are doing it and you're making progress. So instead of looking at the mountain or the massive staircase, look at one step in front of you at a time. And that helps to make it seem way less daunting and more of something that you can handle.

Breaking it down into these smaller, specific goals makes it easier to achieve and helps us to feel more motivated because we if we make those achievements, it gives us the evidence of progress, like we're making our way up the stairs to that end goal. So that is probably the number one way to overcome procrastination when it comes to that like sense of overwhelm or something just seeming unattainable or unachievable to us if we feel like we're not capable in any way.

Just break it down little by little, bit by bit and take those steps one step at a time. Also in line with that, you can create a plan and give yourself like an outline and check things off as you do them, to give yourself that feeling of accomplishment, to give yourself that pride, and to help you be motivated to keep going.

Another important step won't be to remove distractions. So if we are finding ourselves having a difficult time to kind of get in that zone, to get something done, like, let's say you have to write a paper or, you know, work on some kind of project for work and you're just having a very difficult time because it seems like this big, daunting thing. But there's also just so much noise around from your everyday life. It's going to make it a lot more difficult for you to sit down and get in the zone that helps you to get things done. So remove all distractions. Keep your phone away. Don't let those notifications keep buzzing you out of your progress and just kind of hunker down and take those little steps one by one.

Another thing that I think helps people, or at least myself, is to create a deadline because it gives you, you know, that that end date where you have to get it done by which can be extremely motivating depending on your mindset and you don't want to put it too far in the future, or you might just completely forget about it. So make those deadlines. It could even just be little deadlines for each little step to help make it feel more realistic for you. And of course, as we've already discussed, it's just getting started. The hardest part of any task is just starting. But once you get started, you find them. It becomes easier to keep going. You just need to take that first step, that first stumble, make a mess and find your way.

That's the best way is finding your way what works for you. And to be proud of everything that you accomplish and everything you do, reward yourself. Those little incentives are another way to keep you motivated and to make the task feel more enjoyable, whatever it may be. Hopefully it's enjoyable in some way for you, but of course not all things that we need to do that we procrastinate on are enjoyable, which is why we are procrastinating on them sometimes. So I understand not everything is going to be fun, but if we break it up into those small chunks and give ourselves little rewards, or at least, you know, just even the satisfaction of just checking it off the list, like if you write the outline and you check it off, that can be so satisfying because you feel like you did something.

You made a dent in this big, daunting thing, and that is something to be celebrated. So reward yourself. I hope that these strategies will help you in overcoming whatever procrastination you are experiencing, if any at all. Because it's something that we're all working through. I mean, not everyone necessarily procrastinate, but everyone stumbles and everyone fails and nobody is perfect. And I want you to know that that you don't need to be perfect. You just need to take a step towards your goals and your dreams. And every little step counts. So be proud. Be proud of whatever you are able to accomplish and let that be the fuel to fire you up for more. Just do the dang thing and hang.

I'm here doing the thing too. So you have company in your messy middle and hopefully we'll all come out on top figuring it out along the way. Just know that the only way you absolutely ensure failure is not to try. So just taking that step, little step is already putting you ahead. It's already making you travel leaps and bounds towards your goal in the grand scheme of things. So do the thing thing with me. Let's do it together. You are in my imperfect company and let's embrace that because every step counts. Every step is a step closer to our dreams and our goals, or just that massive pile of laundry in the corner. And doesn't really matter what this task is that we might be procrastinating on for whatever reason it may be, we just need to do it little by little. Shirt by a shirt, whatever it is. And I wish you luck in your accomplishments, and I want you to be proud.

Which is why today's mantra is, I am in control of my own happiness. You don't need to rely on external factors to be happy. You don't need to rely on accomplishing whatever the end goal is to be happy. You can choose to be happy. You can choose to be proud of yourself. So even if you never accomplish whatever that big goal is, if you made any sort of step towards it, then that's something to be proud of. And if for some reason you start onto a project and you decide it's no longer working for you or serving you, then that's okay too. You control your happiness. I am in control of my own happiness. I hope that mantra gives you some inspiration for the week and helps you to follow your bliss and to find what makes you happy, what serves you.

I hope that this episode was helpful. If it was, I would love to hear from you. Please leave a review. Hopefully a five star review on your podcast platform. It really means a lot and it helps others to find the podcast. So I really appreciate it if you do that and if you want to email me with some good news in your life that you might like to hear shared in a future episode. When I launch the The Good News segment, then feel free to send me an email at the friend in your ear pod at gmail.com, and you can find all links and more information in the show notes to make things a little bit easier for you so you don't have to write it down. Thank you so much for listening and I hope you'll tune in again next week. If there are any topics that you want me to go further in depth on, feel free to email me as well, or to send me a DM or comment on Instagram where you can follow me @thefriendinyourpod. You're doing great. Be proud and thanks for letting me be the friend inside your ear.