The Formula to End Procrastination

The internal narrative usually goes a little like this…

“I really need to get on top of that (issue), but there’s a lot going on right now, I’ll do it next week.” Monday comes, something else pops up, so you push it to Tuesday. Tuesday rolls around and there are fires to fight. Before you know it, a whole week has passed and nothing’s changed. And the cycle keeps repeating.

Sound familiar?

What you need, is a method of increasing the level of motivation to the point that you’re so compelled by a desire for change, that it becomes harder to stay where you are, than it does to move forward.

As a result, you’ll spend less time making excuses for yourself, and more time making progress toward your goals.

One tool I use to help my clients to do exactly this, is called the “Formula for Change”.

The idea is simple: for change to happen, your combined levels of clarity around dissatisfaction, vision, and first steps need to outweigh the resistance you’re facing.

The formula:

(Dissatisfaction x Vision) + First Steps > Resistance

(D x V) + F > R

Let’s break it down…

• Dissatisfaction – How uncomfortable are you with your current situation versus taking action?

• Vision – How clearly can you see a better reality? Do you believe it’s achievable?

• First Steps – What actions do you need to take, and in what order?

• Resistance – What’s getting in the way? Fear, comfort, habits, etc.

Try applying the formula to an area of your life you want to change. Score each of the three areas and see where you stand.

My advice: focus on increasing D and V. Since they’re multipliers, small gains here have a bigger impact than just knowing the steps. Most people already know what to do – the challenge is knowing why you’re doing it.

So, now you’ve got the tools to make change a reality, don’t waste another second, get going!