Are you a procrastinator? Maybe you are tired of the behavior, tired of the consequences, and confused about why you keep delaying when you say you want success.
Procrastination is the symptom. The hidden block underneath it may be that success, standing out, or shining feels unsafe.
Your procrastination is not proof that you are lazy or that you do not really want success. It may be your brain's clever way of keeping you safe.
We spend so much time criticizing ourselves for procrastinating instead of asking what the behavior is doing for us.
So ask yourself one of my favorite questions: What is the upside to procrastination?
- Maybe it keeps you playing small.
- Maybe it keeps you quiet and under the radar.
- Maybe it prevents you from standing out, shining, or getting yourself out there.
If some part of you believes that shining is dangerous, procrastination makes sense. It slows you down before you can reach the success that feels unsafe.
Let's use EFT Tapping to work with the feeling, the belief, and the behavior.
First, imagine yourself standing out and shining with success. Say out loud, "I feel unsafe standing out," or, "I feel unsafe with success." Notice what happens in your body and see if you can give that feeling a number from zero to ten.
You might tap on:
- Even though success makes me feel unsafe, no wonder I keep procrastinating.
- Even though I feel unsafe when I imagine myself shining, I accept who I am and how I feel.
- Even though I am convinced that shining would make me unsafe, I can see why procrastination has been useful.
As you tap, notice whether the fear or belief begins to soften.
Then notice how you feel about the procrastination itself. Are you angry with yourself? Ashamed? Guilty? Frustrated because you keep getting in your own way?
Those feelings do not help you get to the bottom of the behavior. Understanding the protection procrastination provides for you can help you become less critical and more curious.
You might tap on:
- Even though I am mad at myself for procrastinating, now I understand it and I accept myself.
- Even though I have been frustrated and ashamed, I can see that I have been trying to stay safe.
- Even though procrastination has slowed me down, I appreciate the information it is giving me.
Now ask yourself: What is my next yes?
Your next inspired action may be one small step forward. It may also be tapping consistently on the belief that success or shining is unsafe.
You do not need to fight procrastination. You can identify what it has been protecting you from, tap on the hidden block, and let action become safer.
Stay curious as you tap, and notice what becomes possible when procrastination stops being your enemy and starts giving you useful information.
Carol Look is an EFT Master, LCSW, Clinical Hypnotherapist, coach, and author of The Yes Code, Yes Thank You, and Attracting Abundance with EFT. She has spent more than 30 years helping people release emotional blocks, clear self-sabotage patterns, and take inspired action toward greater success, abundance, and emotional freedom.