I stand to my words Reader. At least, I try most times :)) So, if you read my email on procrastination(& if you didn't, you can read it here)- I had shared my story. I promised you that I will share my strategies, that have come to be so helpful in managing my own patterns of procrastination.

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Surely, I still think over things before making an important decision but I don’t brood over things so much that the time I could have taken action is gone. Let me share with you what helped me.

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In Mel Gibson's words - "You are not a procrastinator , you have a habit of procrastinating". Start with this. Learn it by heart & keep on reminding yourself.

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• Acknowledge that you have stress around you. May be tons of meetings to attend, attending to your sick child, shopping & home chores, or going through a tough time with your partner. Instead of blaming the stress, & overcoming it by triggers like binge watching Netflix, or eating a bucket of ice cream or ranting about your stress with someone over the phone, you can simply identify & acknowledge your stress.

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• Deep breathing helps with breaking the habit of procrastination right in the moment. Here is the magic of deep breathing. The moment we catch ourselves in negative thought & a callous behavior, we need to immediately pause, breathe deep & slow. Close your eyes if it feels good to you. Once that procrastinating thought breaks, you move from the habit storing part of your brain called basal ganglia to your decision making part of the brain called the pre frontal cortex. Now it will be easier for you to take an action. That immediate small step will break your pattern of procrastination.

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• Get your priorities straight. If you have been chasing your health goals but haven’t really prioritized it long term, then no tables will turn on it’s own my friend. So fear not in announcing to yourself what really is important to you. You and your desires matters.

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• It doesn’t have to be perfect. Seriously. Done is better than perfect. And done is better than nothing at all because you didn’t start. Action brings clarity & also momentum.

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• Chunks things down into simple tasks. Take the tasks & break them into smaller, doable steps. Don’t make a disorganized crazy to-do list. Create categories such as home, family, work, me. If working out is your goal then be clear about what, when and where are you getting that goal done. Specificity is a game changer for any task on hand. ​
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I hope these points help you in understanding the vicious circle of procrastination we all must have fallen trap at some point in our lives or the other. But, science proves that one immediate action , most likely helps most people continue moving forward.

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By the way on a lighter note: I was working on this email while waiting for my kids at the badminton club this Monday. My 12 year old came about silently & noticed what I was writing. As I saw him & turned my I pad away to leave the place, he said to me- "Mumma, procrastination is as simple as just being lazy. It nothing fancier than this!" It really was funny & while we both broke into laughter, my little one caught us on camera because I said, "I will share this with you in my email". LOL!!! Here is our giggling pic ;))

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pic courtesy- my 9 year old son

Hope you find some giggles too in your day!!​
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Love,
Ekta

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Reader, if you've been meaning to start eating more salads, try my recipe for this Gluten Free Meal Replacer Salad! It has a bonus dressing recipe too! Try it out this week and tell me if it worked for you!

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