Nations In Conflict: Procrastination vs Imagination

Fight Procrastination and Embrace Your Emotions for a Victorious Life

Do you ever find yourself staring at the ceiling instead of tackling that big project? You're not alone. In this episode of Living Lucky®, we reveal the surprising truth behind procrastination: it's not about laziness, it's about dodging emotional discomfort.

We'll show you how to conquer procrastination by:

• Recognizing the ego's role in avoidance behavior
• Unmasking the emotions that hold you back (fear, doubt, uncertainty)
• Prioritizing tasks based on your deepest desires
• Investing your time in what truly matters

This episode is packed with actionable tips for different personality types, including planners, prioritizers, arrangers, and visualizers.    You'll also discover:

• How to break the cycle of fear of failure and rejection
• The power of vulnerability in overcoming procrastination
• Techniques to transform the feeling of chance into daily action

Ready to stop procrastinating and start living a life you love? Tune in and get ready to turn your dreams into reality! ✨

P.S. Send Jason and email describing what you're procrastinating on and get some suggestions on how to take meaningful action. Email Jason directly at Jason@LivingLucky.com

#Procrastination #Productivity #Emotions #Fear #Doubt #Uncertainty #Ego #Prioritization #TimeManagement #PersonalGrowth #LivingLucky #JasonandJana
Procrastinator vs Passion, Unlock Your Dreams: Crush Procrastination, Feel the Fear & Do It Anyway, Emotions vs. Action: Who Wins?, Beyond the Ceiling: Escape Procrastination, Lucky vs Lazy: Debunk Procrastination, Victor vs. Victim: Conquer Procrastination, Do It Now! Stop Emotional Sabotage, Unmask Your Procrastination Monster, From Doubt to Dreams: Tame Procrastination, Jason Shelfer, Jana Shelfer, Living Lucky, Living Lucky Podcast, Living Lucky In Love

Transcript

Overcoming Procrastination and Fear

Jana Shelfer 0:00

Are you ready to create a life you crave? Let's spin that doom loop of negativity into an upward success cycle and start living lucky. Good morning. I'm Jana and this is my husband, Jason, and we are Living Lucky®. You are too.

Jason Shelfer 0:21

Because you're listening to the Living Lucky® podcast.

Jana Shelfer 0:23

Do you know what the two biggest nations in the world are? Ooh, ooh, I know.

Jason Shelfer 0:29

Percastination and imagination.

Jana Shelfer 0:32

We were at a webinar and the guy on stage asked this question to the audience. Of course, there was silence and then Jason literally did exactly what he just did. Now, oh, I know it's imagination. Imagination is the biggest nation in the world and of course the guy on stage, he looks at Jason and said you just ruined my story because I wanted to make a point that it's procrastination. For most people, it is procrastination.

Jason Shelfer 1:03

Yes.

Jana Shelfer 1:04

Now, when you're Living Lucky®, it's imagination. But today we are talking about procrastination. And isn't that funny how the 99% of people in the world tend to go to that side of the spectrum. They're really opposites. Percastination and imagination are really on the opposite sides of the spectrum, but most people live in the procrastination world. And why?

Jason Shelfer 1:34

Well, one of the reasons why is I think it offers a way out, like it says. Okay, I'm going to shorten the amount of time that I give myself on the task, even though I know it's ready, like I've known about it for months. I'll shorten the time that I give myself because I'm allowing fear to step in, I'm allowing doubt to step in, I'm allowing uncertainty to step in, yeah.

Jana Shelfer 1:58

and some people say well, I can get it done a lot quicker if I just wait till the last minute.

Jason Shelfer 2:02

I work so much better under pressure.

Jana Shelfer 2:05

I know, I know so many people say that, and it is true for some. However, the real reason that we procrastinate is we are managing our emotions. Yes, deep within us, there is an emotion that we don't want to face, and so we put it off, we put it off, we put it off, and sometimes we put off our dreams. Sometimes we put off a project, sometimes we put off a conversation.

Jason Shelfer 2:35

Yeah, and we prioritize other things over the task that needs to get done. We rationalize, it. Because I believe that we believe, we think we're going to find more pleasure in accomplishment there than in solving the pain of having the new task accomplished.

Jana Shelfer 2:56

Or possibly facing failure.

Jason Shelfer 2:58

Oh yeah.

Jana Shelfer 2:59

Possibly facing rejection. Possibly facing oh maybe I made a mistake or just possibly facing all of those.

Jason Shelfer 3:09

Ooh, or the uncertainty of newness. I mean, if it's easy to do, sometimes we just jump right in it.

Jana Shelfer 3:15

It is ego driven. I think procrastination is ego driven. Would you agree with that? I mean, that just came to me right now.

Jason Shelfer 3:22

Yeah, I do, but I think that's under the covers, like that's the, that's the under the fitted sheet, even like it's. It's something that you have to peel back the layers to get under the fitted sheet.

Jason Shelfer 3:35

Yeah, that's where the mattress cover is so that's where you have some people skip on that one, yeah or that's where the mattress is, but it's that's where the, that's the deeper level. Like I don't think we look at it on top, going oh my egos keeping me from doing this, because my, a lot of us want to say, oh, it's my ego that wants me to do it.

Jana Shelfer 3:57

Well, let's just, let's get down to brass taxes here. I think that it is the ego that stops us. For me anyway, sometimes I put off things because I feel, oh, I'm not ready or it's not gonna be good enough. Whatever I come up with right now is not gonna be good enough and I don't want to disappoint myself, I don't want to disappoint people around me, I don't want to feel like a fool for even trying this project, because it's not gonna be at the standard that I expect. It's dropping. There's just so many, there's so many little things, and that's just for me. Those are the feelings that start coming up with me, and I look at some of the projects that I have procrastinated on and a lot of times it feels I am unclear with the outcome I am wanting, or it, like I said, it feels too big.

Jason Shelfer 5:01

It feels too big yeah, and that's for me feel vulnerable that's so. Vulnerability and uncertainty Are a scary combination, a lot of times and that's I kept thinking about. What is that I procrastinate on the most, or historically, if procrastinated on the most, and it's difficult conversations, it's conflict.

Jana Shelfer 5:24

You definitely, so I'm not in a conflict when you when you deal back into that.

Jason Shelfer 5:30

It's not that I want things to remain calm and fun and exciting. The underneath the covers, underneath that fitted sheet, is that I'm uncertain of how people are gonna react. I'm uncertain of what the outcome is gonna be, and am I scared that I'm going to lose a friendship, a relationship? Am I going to? Am I not going to?

Jana Shelfer 5:55

And I also think there's a vulnerability in our being transparent to us well because then you're. I think there's a fear of Hold on a seat bless you, get me, is it just one? There. It is always needs more than once. I had a third grade teacher once, and every time she would sneeze. We would start counting.

Jana Shelfer 6:18

Because it was never one one time she got up to nine nights. At any rate, I feel like it. Let's just take your case, for example. Sometimes you avoid conversations and I know that right now you're saying because you don't want to hurt the other person or you don't want to lose.

Jason Shelfer 6:36

It's not the lose the conversation, it's. It's lose the, the value in the relationship or devalue the relationship. And that uncertainty of if I, if I say this or if I ask for this, is that going to deteriorate or decay part of the relationship? And just like from our last podcast couple days ago about blowing off steam when you, when you actually have the communication skills to navigate those tough conversations articulate, like if you can slow down and think about what your true need is, true desire is, then you can communicate non violently.

Jason Shelfer 7:15

That's isn't aggressive, it isn't.

Jana Shelfer 7:21

Poking it you really nailed down.

Jason Shelfer 7:22

This is, this is what I would like to see from this. Is that something we can gain agreement on, like between us, and then you actually build the relationship which is so powerful so for you.

Jana Shelfer 7:33

It's usually you procrastinate things that have to do with relationships yeah, and it was.

Jason Shelfer 7:40

the uncertainty was really going back to my, or the fear and the vulnerability was my fear of not knowing enough and not being able to communicate well.

Jana Shelfer 7:52

That is so good. I think that's that hits home for a lot of people and for me, my procrastination usually has to do with putting expressing my art to the world, expressing my wisdom to the world. It's Jason. I've been working on a course and I will find everything else in the house to do at that time.

Jason Shelfer 8:23

Let me go clean.

Jana Shelfer 8:24

Yeah, I'm like oh gosh, you know what I gotta do, the I gotta unload the dishes first. I gotta I gotta fold some laundry.

Jason Shelfer 8:30

Let me check the dishes and see if any of these in the cabinet could be cleaned again.

Jana Shelfer 8:33

You know what? Let me mop the floor. Well, do it after I mop the floor, okay, honey. Yeah, I put that off so much, and it's not because I'm not excited about it, it's not because I'm not passionate about it. It's because there is a ooh, there's a fear of putting it out and it not being good enough?

Jason Shelfer 8:56

And what if?

Jana Shelfer 8:59

And then that comes back to well, am I spinning positive? Am I looking at the possibilities or am I looking at the?

Jason Shelfer 9:08

probabilities, or what the other 99% look at is. How can this go wrong?

Jana Shelfer 9:14

Yes, am I looking at what can go right? Because we, I have confidence in us, but there's something there. I will procrastinate because I have a fear of disappointing myself. It's not like I've really done a lot of work around this. It's not even about disappointing other people, it's I have expectations and in my life so many times people say Jan, lower your expectations and I always say raise your standards.

Jana Shelfer 9:46

I might raise your standards. However, when I'm realizing with myself, a lot of times I become paralyzed with fear, doubt and uncertainty which is so ironic that I use that word, but I do. I become paralyzed with fear, doubt and uncertainty because I don't want to disappoint you me, yeah, and I don't want to disappoint God, yeah. I feel like God is like Janne, it's your turn, this is what you're supposed to do, like he finally gives me that clear communication and then I I'm like, uh, what is?

Jason Shelfer 10:32

it.

Jana Shelfer 10:32

Like hey, just do it for me.

Jana Shelfer 10:35

Just do it for me. I know you can move mountains.

Jana Shelfer 10:39

That's right, so hey.

Jason Shelfer 10:42

I'll just I'll wait for the Amazon guy to bring it. You just send it, yes.

Jana Shelfer 10:45

Yes.

Jana Shelfer 10:48

I've told you over and over, you know that I'm serious about this. Can't you just make it happen? And and there's one little, there's one layer of challenge left to get through, and that challenge for me is are you willing to bet?

Jason Shelfer 11:14

on yourself, on yourself, yeah, and for me, I, I when I hear that, it makes me think of the 80-20 rule, and a lot of times because you get, you get 80% of your results from 20% of your work, but a lot of times procrastinators are going to fill the space with a lot of different things because they they don't want to do the big thing, or they don't want to do the thing that they're called to do, or need to do.

Jana Shelfer 11:40

Are you about to? Sneeze, I've got something in the back of my throat. There's something happening here.

Jason Shelfer 11:45

There's something happening here, and that would be happening if you're not procrastinating right.

Jana Shelfer 11:51

Okay, so before we go any further, let's talk about what are the tangible ways that either people procrastinate or how they can break through that barrier.

Jason Shelfer 12:04

So I was talking to the coach and there the synopsis came out that there's four types of people. There's a planner, a prioritizer and a ranger and a visualizer.

Jana Shelfer 12:16

Okay.

Jason Shelfer 12:16

And each one of them has like a Can you be a little bit of all of them. I think you can. So this is the anti, the ideal anti procrastination daily routine for these people.

Jana Shelfer 12:27

Okay, talk to me.

Jason Shelfer 12:28

So the planner is plan out your day hour by hour, do some deep work for two hours, so that kind of clears your mind, kind of like clearing your schedule, clearing your mind.

Jana Shelfer 12:37

I've actually done that and I have these little calendar things that sometimes I print out and I'll even put hour by hour. Okay, this is what I need to be doing this hour Now. I rarely stick to it, so because I find cleaning and other things I want to clean off my desk to fill the space, so go ahead.

Jason Shelfer 12:57

Yeah, then take some stretching breaks. And what this does is it also kind of it opens up your space, opens up your availability for receivership and imagination, and then also it kind of subconsciously puts your mind into a state of okay, I'm going to do this, it is a stretch for me and I'm going to get it done and then work on lighter tasks.

Jana Shelfer 13:18

first, Just real quickly. I have a quick little quip that I want to put in here. Yesterday I was taking out the trash and I totally biffed it like I totally fell. Some of you know I have a bum wheel right now, so I was going down the curb and I totally fell with the trash can it went all over and I see these two ladies coming.

Jason Shelfer 13:41

Wheelchair goes sliding out.

Jana Shelfer 13:42

Yes, I see these two ladies coming and I think, oh my god, they're going to want to help me and they're just these two little petite ladies and it's going to be awkward, and so I did not want to face that whole interaction. For some reason I was procrastinating that whole interaction, it was avoidance is what it was. So I literally pretended that I was stretching at the end of my drive.

Jana Shelfer 14:08

Can we help you.

Jana Shelfer 14:09

I'm like no, I'm just stretching.

Jason Shelfer 14:11

Just doing my morning stretches One, two, three. One, two, three.

Jana Shelfer 14:17

When you said stretch, that cracked me up. Okay, what are the others?

Jason Shelfer 14:20

So prioritizer is to write a to-do list. Organize your calendar. Start with the hardest task first and then do deep work for two hours. The arranger tidy up your space. Oh that's me, brain. Dump your thoughts.

Jana Shelfer 14:34

That's me.

Jason Shelfer 14:35

Get all your admin work sorted.

Jana Shelfer 14:37

That's me.

Jason Shelfer 14:38

And then work on more challenging tasks.

Jana Shelfer 14:40

Yeah, like I'll come over here to write a chapter in my book and next thing you know, I'm checking my emails, tidying up my computer screen, like, oh gosh, these folders. There's just so many files and I could probably get rid of some of these. I hear you.

Jason Shelfer 14:59

And then you've got the visualizer, which I think is me is decide on a priority for the day, write in your journal, use the Pomodoro technique and then end the day with light task.

Jana Shelfer 15:09

And then you can do it with the.

Jason Shelfer 15:10

Pomodoro, I'm pretty sure that's just the 80-20 rule. So what's going to get you 80% of your results? Do the 20%, do that 20%. That's going to get you the biggest results.

Embracing Emotions to Overcome Procrastination

Jana Shelfer 15:18

That applies to a lot of things in life. The biggest nugget that I feel that we've given today is that procrastination is just emotion management. That is all we're doing, and so if we can be willing to drop the ego and step through these emotions, actually feel the feeling, feel the feeling and realize what is it that I really want? Do I want to write this book? Then I'm going to need to sit down and be willing to put it out to the world and if they reject it, that's okay. That's okay. You know what? I wrote it? For my soul and the art and the fun of writing my stories.

Jason Shelfer 16:08

I've valued it, so I invested in it.

Jana Shelfer 16:12

Yes, and that's where it is it's like okay.

Jason Shelfer 16:15

so if we're prioritizing throughout the day and you have a task or you have something that you're putting off, then where are you valuing that? Because if you value it, you invest in it.

Jana Shelfer 16:27

And also I just need to remember that here I'm thinking well, what if they don't like it? Well, what if they love it? Yeah, what if it helps a lot of people? Oh, thank you, all right, I love this. I feel lucky. How about you? And we love?

Jason Shelfer 16:43

you. I feel lucky and you should keep feeling lucky. Keep joining us. Thank you every morning.

Jana Shelfer 16:49

Bye-bye. If the idea of Living Lucky® appeals to you, visit us at www. livinglucky. com.