Throw Me a Rope – I’m Scaling a Procrastination Mountain Here

I’m currently experiencing the worst bout of procrastination of my entire life.

It’s excruciating, it’s embarrassing, and I think it has the potential to sabotage the most significant goal of my professional career.

Let me explain: I’m travelling to New York at the end of May to undertake research for the book I’m writing. In order for this trip to be a success, I need to reach out to some people who work in the space I’m researching – to see if they’re willing to be interviewed by yours truly.

I’ve drafted the email to those people.

I have a pretty little Excel spreadsheet skilfully prepared by my researcher with all the names of those potential experts.

It’s all ready to go.

I’ve had it ready to go for six weeks.

I have sent one email.

As one wise person said to me today, “Suzi, you don’t have trouble with productivity, so what’s really going on here?”

Today’s post is very difficult for me to publish. I’m aware of my predilection for portraying myself as a ‘man-has-she-got her-shit-together-and-is-going-places’ type of gal. But I know that unless I get to the bottom of my procrastination quick smart, I might just end up punching myself in the face (metaphorically speaking of course).

Seriously, I don’t think I can work this out on my own. And I know I’m usually the one offering up leadership tidbits. But today I’m turning the tables. I need your help – and I think you, dear Leader’s Digest reader, can give it to me. God knows I need it.

So please put your best advice-giving or coaching hat on, and comment below. Feel free to let rip and run amok with your suggestions. But before you do, here’s what I know so far about my pesky procrastination problem:

1. It probably has something to do with fear. After all, doesn’t it usually? I think it’s something to do with what I’m afraid might happen when I write those emails and they land in those inboxes and are read by Those People. This little ditty also keeps circling in my head, so that might be a clue:

“Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness that most frightens us.”

I’ve always quite liked this quote. Until now. Right now, I hate it.

2. I’m intrigued about what I’ve got to GAIN by this current self-sabotaging behaviour. I think there’s something to explore in that. I think the things I neglect and avoid are my teachers.

3. And I’m curious about these questions:

• Why do we set ourselves important goals and then promptly start to get in our own way?
• Why do we let ourselves dream for a moment of a beautiful possibility and then in the very next moment put up barrier after barrier and come out with excuse after excuse, all of which prevents us from stepping towards that beautiful possibility?
• Why do we let the dross and fluff of what’s directly in our path trip us up and stop us getting the real work done, work that we know, deep down, epitomises our deepest desire?

This ain’t just a “phone a friend” situation people.

This is a “I need The Oracle and Tony Robbins and freakin’ Tim Ferriss all in my living room and in my corner” state of affairs. And I need them all pronto.

 So what’s your advice on how I can get unstuck? 

(And please, be kind. I’m beating myself up about this enough as it is)