Beat Procrastination: Do. Laugh. Try (Again).

If the hardest thing to do is to start, for others, the second hardest probably is to laugh while doing, and third to try again when things go wrong. And usually, they are in that order. Procrastination is just one of those habits that hinder our progress and ability to accomplish things on time or when they are required. There are these 3 words that actually made me change how I view the tasks that are given to me – do, laugh, try (again). Hopefully, this could help others deal with their putting off habits too.
The foremost challenge we face when doing a project believe it or not is to figure out how to start it. Some people (like me) are so analytical that they tend to over-analyze information before getting their hands to work. Also, some tend to become overly creative when overwhelmed with the project at hand. The key is to just start not by thinking but by actually doing. Let me give an example: if you want to write an article, instead of merely thinking about the article, you can actually turn your computer on and start typing whatever thoughts come into your mind. Another thing is if you would like to start a scrapbook, simply grab a scrapbook and colored papers (if that’s your material) and start cutting and pasting until you’re done. If you want a new choreography for your dance troupe, start playing the music and face the mirror and start figuring out the steps. If you want to run or go to the gym, you just have to do wear your rubber shoes, and do walk outside and drag your legs to running. If it’s working out, then you just have to do get into the gym and do start lifting weights. They key is to move, to engage your physique to the completion of your project; to simply do. This reinforces habit #1 – Be proactive.
The second challenge is being able to laugh at ourselves when the initial outcome of our project is not what we have hoped for. Some people get easily disappointed with their projects because it’s not what they envisioned so they tend to put it off again until they think they’re ready or more equipped. The fact is, if we are to put off our tasks say 2 days or so, we don’t get more ready or more equipped enough to fulfill it. It is an illusion too to wait for perfect conditions to arise before we accomplish things, because our surroundings and conditions will never be perfect – perfection does not exist, at least not in this lifetime. So let’s laugh at the flaws of our work and let’s work with joy; then, let’s try again.