December 2, 2025 • 35 mins
Procrastination doesn’t mean you’re lazy—it means your brain is stuck in “later” mode, and tonight we’re going to break that in motion, not in theory. This is John C. Morley, Serial Entrepreneur, Engineer, Marketing Specialist, Video Producer, Podcast Host, Coach, Graduate Student, and passionate lifelong learner, and you’re tuned into another powerful episode of Inspirations for Your Life—the daily motivational show that helps you think differently, act intentionally, and become the person you were designed to be. Today in our master series “Motion Mindset: 7 Days to Build Unshakeable Momentum,” we’re diving into Monday’s topic: “Crush Procrastination in Motion,” because the fastest way out of procrastination is not guilt—it’s action in small, smart, repeatable moves.
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Start with a 5-minute “just begin” timerOne of the simplest and most powerful anti-procrastination tools is the 5-minute rule: tell yourself you only have to work on the task for 5 minutes, then you’re allowed to stop. Once you begin, resistance drops, anxiety calms, and your brain shifts from avoidance to engagement, often making it surprisingly easy to keep going beyond those five minutes.
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Mark as PlayedTranscript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
(00:24):
Well, hey guys.
Good evening, it is John C Morley here,
serial entrepreneur.
It's great to be with you on Inspirations
for Your Life.
Thank you so much for deciding to join
me tonight.
We have another great show.
You know, we've had an amazing master topic
for quite a while and this is another
(00:46):
great master topic that we're going to talk
about in just a moment, guys.
So the grand master topic, let me give
you that first, the master topic for the
week is motion mindset, seven days to build
unshakable momentum.
That's what it's all about.
All right, guys.
So if you're new here, I want to
take the opportunity to say welcome and thank
(01:06):
you for joining me.
If you're coming back, I want to say
welcome back and thank you so much for
coming back.
I really do appreciate that very, very, very
much.
All right, guys, if you haven't heard of
BelieveMeAchieved.com, what are you waiting for?
Go try it out after the show, that
is.
You'll get my short form content, my long
form content, all kinds of other great stuff,
including reels and articles.
So definitely check that out.
(01:28):
All right, guys.
If you're thirsty, like I have my delicious
hot cocoa here.
Really hot, really delicious.
Amazing.
If you're watching me, you're probably noticing that
I have an apron on, chef's apron, because
I've actually been baking them on this like
25-30 hour crusade of baking with the
(01:48):
holidays.
So if you're seeing me, that's what I'm
doing.
Just finished, almost finished doing spritz cookies, which
I have to finish doing after this.
So, again, let's just dive right into the
show.
And I hope you guys will appreciate this
because I think this is going to make,
it's going to make a big difference for
everybody if we understand, you know, how things
(02:09):
all come together.
I think that's probably the best thing I
can say to you guys.
So first thing I want to say to
you is this, and it's very, very important.
And that is procrastination doesn't mean you're lazy.
It means your brain is stuck in, quote,
unquote, leader mode.
And tonight, I'm breaking that into motion, not
into theory.
By the way, I'm John C.
(02:30):
Morley.
I'm a serial entrepreneur, engineer, marketing specialist, video
producer, podcast host, coach, graduate student, and above
all, a passionate lifelong learner.
And you're tuned into another amazing, powerful episode
of Inspirations for Your Life, the popular daily
motivational show that helps you think differently, act
(02:53):
intentionally, and become the person you were designed
to be.
So tonight or today, on our master series,
where we were talking about this week, Motion
Mindset, Seven Days to Build Unshakeable Momentum, we're
diving into Monday's topic.
That's what it is today.
It's Monday.
It's December 1st.
(03:13):
Happy Monday and happy December 1st.
Crush procrastination in motion, because the fastest way
out of procrastination is not guilt.
It's action, folks, in small, smart, repeatable moves.
Start with a five-minute just-begin timer.
One of the simplest and most powerful anti
(03:38):
-procrastination tools is the five-minute rule.
Tell yourself you only have to work on
the task for five minutes.
Then you're allowed to stop.
Once you begin, resistance drops and anxiety calms,
and your brain shifts from avoidance to engagement
mode, often making it surprisingly easy to keep
(03:58):
going beyond those five minutes.
That's important, guys.
Do the task you dread before checking your
email.
Your willpower and focus are highest at the
start of the day.
So use that prime energy to tackle the
thing you're most likely to avoid.
By doing your most dreaded or important task
(04:20):
before opening email or messages, you prevent other
people's priorities from hijacking your momentum.
And break tasks into 10-minute chunks.
Procrastination loves anything that feels huge and vague.
Your job is to make it small and
(04:41):
specific.
Break that intimidating project into 10-minute chunks.
Outline, intro, draft, three bullets, points, clean one
shelf, so your brain sees something it can
actually wrap itself around, start and actually finish.
Remove one thing from your desk.
(05:02):
A cluttered space makes it easier to distract
yourself and harder to focus on.
Remember, just one item from your desk that
doesn't need to be there.
A random pile, an old mug, a stack
of mail, and you send your brain a
subtle signal.
We're making room for action.
(05:23):
All right, now I could take a look.
What do I need?
So I don't need this flashlight on my
desk.
I have that here.
The tape, I don't need that on my
desk.
It can go in my drawer.
And I've already taken a couple things away,
right?
So work in focused sprints with tiny pieces.
(05:46):
And with this method, it's like the Pomodoro
technique.
Work for about 25 minutes on just one
task and take a five-minute break.
These short, focused bursts lower the psychological barrier
to starting and help you maintain energy without
burning out.
(06:07):
That's important.
Tell someone what you'll finish by lunch.
So, accountability boosts follow-through.
Message a friend and colleague or a partner
and say, hey, by lunch, I will finish
X.
And then check back in.
People who share specific goals and timelines are
more likely to act and achieve them.
(06:29):
Turn off all your notifications for one hour.
Can you do that?
Constant pings feed procrastination by giving you easy
escape hatches.
Whenever a task feels uncomfortable, well, turn off
notifications on your devices for just one focused
hour so you can put your attention on
(06:50):
things and not have it constantly pulled away
to things that don't really matter.
So I think those are important things to
realize.
And when we can realize these things, we
actually get the tools to be better in
our life.
I mean, I think that's a very important
thing to realize.
So ask, what's the smallest step I can
(07:11):
do right now?
Okay.
Really good hot chocolate.
By the way, it's Swiss Miss and sometimes
I add a few extra marshmallows in it.
When you feel stuck, don't argue with yourself.
Get curious.
Ask, what's the absolute smallest step I can
take right now and make it tiny enough
(07:32):
that it feels almost too easy to refuse?
Do that step immediately.
The second you identify that smallest step, open
the document, write one sentence, gather one folder,
do it.
Immediate action, even tiny starts, rewiring your habit
(07:53):
from think and delay to decide and move.
Reward yourself after completing one chunk.
See, your brain loves rewards and small celebrations
help lock in new behavior.
After finishing a 10-minute chunk or a
sprint, give yourself a micro reward.
(08:15):
Stand up, stretch, sip your favorite drink, like
I have my hot chocolate here, or take
a quick walk.
Reinforcing that action leads to something positive.
And our brain, again, I said loves to
have rewards.
It really, really loves rewards.
(08:35):
That's something I think a lot of people
don't understand and they don't realize like what's
going on in their life, but rewards are
important.
Use a simple checklist and cross things off.
I've been doing this for years.
This is the greatest thing.
I use something on paper.
I write it down and then I cross
it off.
It reduces mental clutter by getting tasks out
of your head and onto paper.
(08:57):
Each time you physically cross something off, you
get a small dopamine hit that makes continuing
to work feel more satisfying.
Say I choose to instead of I have
to.
Language shapes your mindset.
Replacing I have to this with I choose
(09:17):
to do this because it moves you out
of victim mentality mode and back into ownership
mode, which increases motivation and lowers emotional resistance.
Change locations if you're stuck.
Sometimes your environment is tied to your procrastination
habit.
If you've been spinning your wheels for more
(09:40):
than 15 to 20 minutes, move to a
different room, table, or even just stand instead
of sitting to signal a reset to your
brain.
Put your phone in another room for 30
minutes.
Phones are portable.
Procrastination machines.
For one 30 minute block, physically put your
(10:01):
phone in another room.
Can you do that?
Research on focus and sprint methods shows that
removing easy distractions dramatically improves depth of your
work.
Start with an easy win to build momentum.
If you feel overwhelmed, pick one quick, meaningful
task you can finish in under 10 minutes.
(10:25):
Early wins sense this creation of progress.
And once you're moving, it's much easier to
tackle something harder next.
But getting the engine going is often hard
for people to understand.
So let's realize that and hopefully we can
(10:46):
make some changes in our life.
Now, I want to tell you that most
people don't always get it.
Okay, so the way you're going to get
it is by training your brain, set a
deadline and shorten it a bit.
(11:08):
Open ended tasks invite delay, give yourself a
clear, slightly tighter deadline.
I'll finish this draft in 40 minutes instead
of an hour to trigger healthy urgency and
cut out unnecessary perfectionism.
Work standing for one block.
(11:30):
Your physiology affects your psychology.
Try doing one sprint standing up at a
counter, a standing desk, or even with your
laptop or on a box, which can increase
alertness and help you feel more.
In gear, so turn background noise into focus
music.
(11:50):
If background noise distracts you, replace it with
focus supporting sounds.
Instrumental music, white noise, or ambient soundtracks, many
people find this helps them drop into quote
-unquote the work zone faster and stay there
longer.
Avoid opening extra tabs just to check, every
(12:13):
just to check.
Well, that tab is really an invitation to
drift or procrastinate.
Make a rule for one sprint.
No new tabs unless they are directly needed
for the task at hand.
Which protects your attention from scattering across the
(12:37):
internet.
Ask if the tasks can be simplified.
Perfectionism often makes tasks bigger than they need
to be.
Ask what would a simple good enough version
of this look like.
So you can move forward instead of waiting
for the perfect conditions or perfect output.
(13:00):
Ask if it can be delegated or delayed
not.
Everything you're procrastinating on actually belongs on your
plate right now.
Ask honestly, can someone else do this or
can this be done later without real damage?
And if the answer is yes, adjust accordingly.
(13:23):
Visualize how good it will feel finished.
Take 20-30 seconds imagining the relief and
satisfaction of having this task done.
The clear desk, the scent, email, the finished
project.
Positive visualization can increase your willingness to start
because your brain gets a taste of the
(13:46):
reward early, ahead of time.
So do a 10-minute or really a
10-second countdown, I should say.
And move when you catch yourself hesitating.
Countdown from 10, 9, 8, 7, etc.
And when you hit 1, physically move into
action.
Click the file, stand up, start typing.
(14:07):
That micro ritual turns a vague intention into
a clear launch sequence.
You've probably done this before.
Maybe you're in bed.
You're like, okay I'm gonna give myself to
the count of 10.
I'm gonna give myself to the count of
60.
And then you get up, right?
You do get up.
Forgive yourself for yesterday's delay.
(14:27):
Beating yourself up for procrastinating actually makes you
more likely to procrastinate more again and again
because it increases shame and avoidance.
Self-compassion, acknowledging the delay, forgiving yourself, and
gently refocusing has been shown to reduce procrastination
(14:50):
and support long-term motivation.
Speak one encouraging sentence to yourself.
Feed your mind the words you wish.
Someone else would say, it can be as
simple as you've done harder things than this.
Or five minutes is all we're committing to
(15:11):
right now.
Positive self-talk helps shift you from fear
into capability mode.
Now I think this is something a lot
of people like they get tripped up on
because they're like, oh my gosh, well what
if I run out?
What if it starts too early or if
it happens too soon?
Like what do I do?
And I think that's something that a lot
(15:33):
of people, you know, they get stuck on,
right?
It's nothing to be ashamed of.
They get stuck on.
So finish one thing before starting another.
So many companies I know, they're all about
multitasking, chatting, phone calling.
But when you multitask, you really can't give
(15:55):
excellent high quality service.
You just can't.
Multitasking is often just, well, disguised procrastination.
Commit to finishing one small piece fully before
hoping to the next task, which builds confidence
and leaves you with visible proof that you
(16:16):
can follow through.
Use a visible timer on your desk, a
simple kitchen timer, screen timer, or countdown on
your desk.
It creates a container for your effort.
Seeing time move nudges you to stay engaged,
and it reminds you that you're not committing
(16:38):
forever just for this focused block, this moment,
this unit of time.
End the day with a done list, not
just to-do list.
Before you shut down, write down what you
actually accomplished today.
A done list counterbalances the brain's habit of
(16:59):
only seeing what's unfinished and helps you end
the day feeling capable instead of behind.
Note what worked, so you can repeat it.
Ask yourself, what helped me get moving today?
Maybe it was the five-minute rule, changing
(17:19):
locations, or texting a friend.
Capture that so tomorrow you can intentionally reuse
the tactics that work for your unique brain
style.
Go to bed proud you moved, not stalled.
The real win today isn't perfection, it's motion.
(17:45):
If you took even one micro step, right,
today, you were avoiding yesterday.
Let yourself feel proud of that, because a
motion mindset is built one tiny courageous action
at a time, not a gigantic heroic burst.
(18:09):
And as we think about all these things,
and we think about procrastination from its point,
people procrastinate because maybe they just don't know
one thing.
And that one thing could prevent them from
totally getting where they need to be, okay?
(18:37):
That one thing that you want to be
is something very, very interesting.
But if you don't know what that is,
then how do you ever, how do you
ever grow?
How do you ever change your mind, right?
I think that's something that a lot of
people don't realize, okay?
(19:02):
They don't realize it because, again, they get
stuck.
And they get stuck in this weird way
that puts them in this, oh, counterproductive circle.
(19:23):
Have you ever been to forest before?
And have you ever found yourself going around,
maybe yourself or you're with some friends, and
you're like, you're going around for several hours,
but you keep not getting where you need
to be.
You just don't get anywhere.
And so you're like, didn't we pass this
tree?
No, no, no, no, that was a different
tree.
(19:43):
So you go down, you do this a
couple of times.
And so you say, well, you know what,
maybe we should mark the tree.
Because I think it's, no, it's not, well,
all right, we'll mark it, just for the
heck of it.
Son of a gun.
We're going in circles.
So now you know that you're going the
way in circle and you keep doing it.
So now you can know how to go
the other way.
(20:05):
Does that help?
I think it does.
I think we put a lot of pressure
on ourselves to be perfect, right?
And if we do that, then I will
tell you, it can really pull us down.
(20:39):
I think we get an idea, okay?
And then when we get stuck and we
can't do the idea, it's like, oh my
gosh, what am I going to do?
We don't know.
And so if we don't know, then we
(21:04):
put ourselves into this loop, a loop that's
not healthy for us, a loop that's draining
our own energy.
Now, maybe we were somewhere before, but now
we're not, okay?
And you didn't know where it happened or
why it happened.
All you know is that it's now happened,
(21:31):
okay?
Does that make sense?
I think when we hear the word procrastination,
the first thing we want to do is
say, oh no, no, no, it's not me,
I don't procrastinate.
But then if somebody points it out to
(21:52):
us that we're procrastinating, it's like, we want
to try to defend it.
So if you have someone who's procrastinating and
you want to get them to stop, you
need to not talk about the procrastination, but
talk about the taking action.
People don't like to be thrown under the
bus.
(22:12):
And maybe you have great intentions.
I know from being a coach for a
long time.
You have to reward the positive behavior and
talk about the behavior you want to change.
Make a suggestion that, you know, if we
maybe tried it this way, it might give
us a better result.
(22:33):
How about we give it a try?
And that doesn't put you down when somebody
says that.
But if I say, gee, you know, you're
procrastinating, you better do it this way.
You're going to be fighting me in every
darn way.
If I say, you know, Joe, that was
good.
I have an idea.
Why don't we give this way a try?
(22:53):
And let's see if it's even more efficient.
And now you're open to it because I
made as a suggestion to you.
When I make a suggestion to you, you're
like, huh.
You know, like I always say something like
the Colombo person.
Well, you know, Joe, um, that was work
for a while.
I have an idea.
Why don't we give this way a try?
(23:14):
Well, I guess we could do that, John.
And I make it like a suggestion.
I don't make it like, hey, you know,
Joe, you got to do this.
And if he says no, oh, okay.
No problem.
Eventually they'll probably come around and say, you
know what, maybe we should give that way
a try or maybe something happens wrong.
(23:35):
Like, so, um, do you want to give
us other way to try?
It might be a little more helpful, but
you have to be humble in the way
you approach it.
So my people, I know that have done
coaching before me, they try to do this
whole thing where they're better than everybody else.
All right.
(23:59):
That's important.
And I'll tell you that if you do
it with respect and you do it with
humility, okay.
I can tell you that people are going
to pay more attention to you and they're
(24:22):
going to want to try it.
Not because you mentioned it, but because, well,
they're curious, right?
And when we're curious about something, it's like,
hmm, maybe I, maybe I should give that
a try.
When you make it as a suggestion, people
(24:43):
are so willing to want to like, that's
why I said, you know, Joe, why don't
we, why don't we give it a try?
It's so innocent.
It's so easy going that people are like,
yeah, let's give it a try.
But I'd be like, Joe, you know, you
got to try it this way.
It's gonna be much better.
He's gonna be like, no, no, no, no.
And it'd be so against it.
Why don't we just give it a try?
(25:04):
What do we have to lose?
Right.
Make it so light, make it so airy
like that.
And then it's like, huh, let's just give
it a try and let's just see what
happens.
I think that's the missing link.
So that's how you can get somebody to
stop procrastinating.
Now, if it's you that's procrastinating, okay.
(25:25):
You can say to yourself, look, this is
how it's, how I've been doing in the
past.
And it's gotten me some results.
I'd be open to trying something else to
maybe see if I could, you know, manage
my time better.
And so one suggestion I might say is,
well, guys, if you want to do that,
(25:46):
I mean, if you're open to it, maybe
make a to-do list and cross things
off.
I mean, you don't have to, but it's
just an idea.
And of course you're going to want to
do it.
Right.
You're the one coming to me and asking
me.
So anything I suggest, you're gonna be like,
yeah, but I have to make everything seem
(26:06):
like a suggestion.
Like, well, you know, you could do that.
And you know, you could reward yourself if
it goes well, you could break it into
chunks.
You could.
And all these coulds are in your mind
and they're serving like, hmm.
Or I might say something to you like,
hey guys, so if you try that, what
(26:26):
do you think that would look like?
What do you think that would sound like?
What do you think that would feel like?
I'm in the process of doing that now
as I'm process of building my dream home.
I was like, what's it going to feel
like in my new kitchen?
What's it going to look like?
And it's funny as I started doing this,
I started having dreams about for the very
first time just the other day, what my
(26:47):
dream home is going to look like.
And I was designing my kitchen and how
it has the Vulcan stoves.
And I like to bake a lot.
And I said, gee, I'd like to have
this kitchen and I'd like to have the
oven in my kitchen, but I'd also like
to have a separate kitchen, like in my
studio that I have cameras that I could
press and I could have myself be able
to put myself live and stream, have different
(27:09):
kinds of cameras, have them all connected to
live and do records all by myself and
have the same kind of stoves and then
do the whole thing there.
So I'm not actually doing it in my
personal home.
I'm doing it in my studio, which has
a stove.
So that got me very excited, guys.
I got to tell you.
So ladies and gentlemen, you have been watching
(27:29):
or listening to the ever popular Inspirations for
Your Life show with myself, John C.
Morley, serial entrepreneur, engineer, marketing specialist, video producer,
podcast host, coach, graduate student, and a passionate
lifelong learner.
Guiding you through Crush Procrastination in Motion as
(27:51):
part of our Motion Mindset Seven Days to
Build Unshakable Momentum series.
Tonight's challenge is simple.
Pick just three of these strategies and use
them in the next 24 hours and prove
to yourself that you are someone who moves,
not someone who waits.
(28:12):
Comment below and let me know how it
worked.
For more tools and inspiration and resources, visit
BelieveMeAchieve.com and I'll catch you real soon.
Be well, everyone, and have a great one.
Well, hey guys.
Good evening, it is John C Morley here,
serial entrepreneur.
It's great to be with you on Inspirations
for Your Life.
Thank you so much for deciding to join
me tonight.
We have another great show.
You know, we've had an amazing master topic
for quite a while and this is another
(00:46):
great master topic that we're going to talk
about in just a moment, guys.
So the grand master topic, let me give
you that first, the master topic for the
week is motion mindset, seven days to build
unshakable momentum.
That's what it's all about.
All right, guys.
So if you're new here, I want to
take the opportunity to say welcome and thank
(01:06):
you for joining me.
If you're coming back, I want to say
welcome back and thank you so much for
coming back.
I really do appreciate that very, very, very
much.
All right, guys, if you haven't heard of
BelieveMeAchieved.com, what are you waiting for?
Go try it out after the show, that
is.
You'll get my short form content, my long
form content, all kinds of other great stuff,
including reels and articles.
So definitely check that out.
(01:28):
All right, guys.
If you're thirsty, like I have my delicious
hot cocoa here.
Really hot, really delicious.
Amazing.
If you're watching me, you're probably noticing that
I have an apron on, chef's apron, because
I've actually been baking them on this like
25-30 hour crusade of baking with the
(01:48):
holidays.
So if you're seeing me, that's what I'm
doing.
Just finished, almost finished doing spritz cookies, which
I have to finish doing after this.
So, again, let's just dive right into the
show.
And I hope you guys will appreciate this
because I think this is going to make,
it's going to make a big difference for
everybody if we understand, you know, how things
(02:09):
all come together.
I think that's probably the best thing I
can say to you guys.
So first thing I want to say to
you is this, and it's very, very important.
And that is procrastination doesn't mean you're lazy.
It means your brain is stuck in, quote,
unquote, leader mode.
And tonight, I'm breaking that into motion, not
into theory.
By the way, I'm John C.
(02:30):
Morley.
I'm a serial entrepreneur, engineer, marketing specialist, video
producer, podcast host, coach, graduate student, and above
all, a passionate lifelong learner.
And you're tuned into another amazing, powerful episode
of Inspirations for Your Life, the popular daily
motivational show that helps you think differently, act
(02:53):
intentionally, and become the person you were designed
to be.
So tonight or today, on our master series,
where we were talking about this week, Motion
Mindset, Seven Days to Build Unshakeable Momentum, we're
diving into Monday's topic.
That's what it is today.
It's Monday.
It's December 1st.
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Happy Monday and happy December 1st.
Crush procrastination in motion, because the fastest way
out of procrastination is not guilt.
It's action, folks, in small, smart, repeatable moves.
Start with a five-minute just-begin timer.
One of the simplest and most powerful anti
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-procrastination tools is the five-minute rule.
Tell yourself you only have to work on
the task for five minutes.
Then you're allowed to stop.
Once you begin, resistance drops and anxiety calms,
and your brain shifts from avoidance to engagement
mode, often making it surprisingly easy to keep
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going beyond those five minutes.
That's important, guys.
Do the task you dread before checking your
email.
Your willpower and focus are highest at the
start of the day.
So use that prime energy to tackle the
thing you're most likely to avoid.
By doing your most dreaded or important task
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before opening email or messages, you prevent other
people's priorities from hijacking your momentum.
And break tasks into 10-minute chunks.
Procrastination loves anything that feels huge and vague.
Your job is to make it small and
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specific.
Break that intimidating project into 10-minute chunks.
Outline, intro, draft, three bullets, points, clean one
shelf, so your brain sees something it can
actually wrap itself around, start and actually finish.
Remove one thing from your desk.
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A cluttered space makes it easier to distract
yourself and harder to focus on.
Remember, just one item from your desk that
doesn't need to be there.
A random pile, an old mug, a stack
of mail, and you send your brain a
subtle signal.
We're making room for action.
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All right, now I could take a look.
What do I need?
So I don't need this flashlight on my
desk.
I have that here.
The tape, I don't need that on my
desk.
It can go in my drawer.
And I've already taken a couple things away,
right?
So work in focused sprints with tiny pieces.
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And with this method, it's like the Pomodoro
technique.
Work for about 25 minutes on just one
task and take a five-minute break.
These short, focused bursts lower the psychological barrier
to starting and help you maintain energy without
burning out.
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That's important.
Tell someone what you'll finish by lunch.
So, accountability boosts follow-through.
Message a friend and colleague or a partner
and say, hey, by lunch, I will finish
X.
And then check back in.
People who share specific goals and timelines are
more likely to act and achieve them.
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Turn off all your notifications for one hour.
Can you do that?
Constant pings feed procrastination by giving you easy
escape hatches.
Whenever a task feels uncomfortable, well, turn off
notifications on your devices for just one focused
hour so you can put your attention on
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things and not have it constantly pulled away
to things that don't really matter.
So I think those are important things to
realize.
And when we can realize these things, we
actually get the tools to be better in
our life.
I mean, I think that's a very important
thing to realize.
So ask, what's the smallest step I can
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do right now?
Okay.
Really good hot chocolate.
By the way, it's Swiss Miss and sometimes
I add a few extra marshmallows in it.
When you feel stuck, don't argue with yourself.
Get curious.
Ask, what's the absolute smallest step I can
take right now and make it tiny enough
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that it feels almost too easy to refuse?
Do that step immediately.
The second you identify that smallest step, open
the document, write one sentence, gather one folder,
do it.
Immediate action, even tiny starts, rewiring your habit
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from think and delay to decide and move.
Reward yourself after completing one chunk.
See, your brain loves rewards and small celebrations
help lock in new behavior.
After finishing a 10-minute chunk or a
sprint, give yourself a micro reward.
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Stand up, stretch, sip your favorite drink, like
I have my hot chocolate here, or take
a quick walk.
Reinforcing that action leads to something positive.
And our brain, again, I said loves to
have rewards.
It really, really loves rewards.
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That's something I think a lot of people
don't understand and they don't realize like what's
going on in their life, but rewards are
important.
Use a simple checklist and cross things off.
I've been doing this for years.
This is the greatest thing.
I use something on paper.
I write it down and then I cross
it off.
It reduces mental clutter by getting tasks out
of your head and onto paper.
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Each time you physically cross something off, you
get a small dopamine hit that makes continuing
to work feel more satisfying.
Say I choose to instead of I have
to.
Language shapes your mindset.
Replacing I have to this with I choose
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to do this because it moves you out
of victim mentality mode and back into ownership
mode, which increases motivation and lowers emotional resistance.
Change locations if you're stuck.
Sometimes your environment is tied to your procrastination
habit.
If you've been spinning your wheels for more
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than 15 to 20 minutes, move to a
different room, table, or even just stand instead
of sitting to signal a reset to your
brain.
Put your phone in another room for 30
minutes.
Phones are portable.
Procrastination machines.
For one 30 minute block, physically put your
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phone in another room.
Can you do that?
Research on focus and sprint methods shows that
removing easy distractions dramatically improves depth of your
work.
Start with an easy win to build momentum.
If you feel overwhelmed, pick one quick, meaningful
task you can finish in under 10 minutes.
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Early wins sense this creation of progress.
And once you're moving, it's much easier to
tackle something harder next.
But getting the engine going is often hard
for people to understand.
So let's realize that and hopefully we can
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make some changes in our life.
Now, I want to tell you that most
people don't always get it.
Okay, so the way you're going to get
it is by training your brain, set a
deadline and shorten it a bit.
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Open ended tasks invite delay, give yourself a
clear, slightly tighter deadline.
I'll finish this draft in 40 minutes instead
of an hour to trigger healthy urgency and
cut out unnecessary perfectionism.
Work standing for one block.
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Your physiology affects your psychology.
Try doing one sprint standing up at a
counter, a standing desk, or even with your
laptop or on a box, which can increase
alertness and help you feel more.
In gear, so turn background noise into focus
music.
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If background noise distracts you, replace it with
focus supporting sounds.
Instrumental music, white noise, or ambient soundtracks, many
people find this helps them drop into quote
-unquote the work zone faster and stay there
longer.
Avoid opening extra tabs just to check, every
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just to check.
Well, that tab is really an invitation to
drift or procrastinate.
Make a rule for one sprint.
No new tabs unless they are directly needed
for the task at hand.
Which protects your attention from scattering across the
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internet.
Ask if the tasks can be simplified.
Perfectionism often makes tasks bigger than they need
to be.
Ask what would a simple good enough version
of this look like.
So you can move forward instead of waiting
for the perfect conditions or perfect output.
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Ask if it can be delegated or delayed
not.
Everything you're procrastinating on actually belongs on your
plate right now.
Ask honestly, can someone else do this or
can this be done later without real damage?
And if the answer is yes, adjust accordingly.
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Visualize how good it will feel finished.
Take 20-30 seconds imagining the relief and
satisfaction of having this task done.
The clear desk, the scent, email, the finished
project.
Positive visualization can increase your willingness to start
because your brain gets a taste of the
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reward early, ahead of time.
So do a 10-minute or really a
10-second countdown, I should say.
And move when you catch yourself hesitating.
Countdown from 10, 9, 8, 7, etc.
And when you hit 1, physically move into
action.
Click the file, stand up, start typing.
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That micro ritual turns a vague intention into
a clear launch sequence.
You've probably done this before.
Maybe you're in bed.
You're like, okay I'm gonna give myself to
the count of 10.
I'm gonna give myself to the count of
60.
And then you get up, right?
You do get up.
Forgive yourself for yesterday's delay.
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Beating yourself up for procrastinating actually makes you
more likely to procrastinate more again and again
because it increases shame and avoidance.
Self-compassion, acknowledging the delay, forgiving yourself, and
gently refocusing has been shown to reduce procrastination
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and support long-term motivation.
Speak one encouraging sentence to yourself.
Feed your mind the words you wish.
Someone else would say, it can be as
simple as you've done harder things than this.
Or five minutes is all we're committing to
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right now.
Positive self-talk helps shift you from fear
into capability mode.
Now I think this is something a lot
of people like they get tripped up on
because they're like, oh my gosh, well what
if I run out?
What if it starts too early or if
it happens too soon?
Like what do I do?
And I think that's something that a lot
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of people, you know, they get stuck on,
right?
It's nothing to be ashamed of.
They get stuck on.
So finish one thing before starting another.
So many companies I know, they're all about
multitasking, chatting, phone calling.
But when you multitask, you really can't give
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excellent high quality service.
You just can't.
Multitasking is often just, well, disguised procrastination.
Commit to finishing one small piece fully before
hoping to the next task, which builds confidence
and leaves you with visible proof that you
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can follow through.
Use a visible timer on your desk, a
simple kitchen timer, screen timer, or countdown on
your desk.
It creates a container for your effort.
Seeing time move nudges you to stay engaged,
and it reminds you that you're not committing
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forever just for this focused block, this moment,
this unit of time.
End the day with a done list, not
just to-do list.
Before you shut down, write down what you
actually accomplished today.
A done list counterbalances the brain's habit of
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only seeing what's unfinished and helps you end
the day feeling capable instead of behind.
Note what worked, so you can repeat it.
Ask yourself, what helped me get moving today?
Maybe it was the five-minute rule, changing
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locations, or texting a friend.
Capture that so tomorrow you can intentionally reuse
the tactics that work for your unique brain
style.
Go to bed proud you moved, not stalled.
The real win today isn't perfection, it's motion.
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If you took even one micro step, right,
today, you were avoiding yesterday.
Let yourself feel proud of that, because a
motion mindset is built one tiny courageous action
at a time, not a gigantic heroic burst.
(18:09):
And as we think about all these things,
and we think about procrastination from its point,
people procrastinate because maybe they just don't know
one thing.
And that one thing could prevent them from
totally getting where they need to be, okay?
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That one thing that you want to be
is something very, very interesting.
But if you don't know what that is,
then how do you ever, how do you
ever grow?
How do you ever change your mind, right?
I think that's something that a lot of
people don't realize, okay?
(19:02):
They don't realize it because, again, they get
stuck.
And they get stuck in this weird way
that puts them in this, oh, counterproductive circle.
(19:23):
Have you ever been to forest before?
And have you ever found yourself going around,
maybe yourself or you're with some friends, and
you're like, you're going around for several hours,
but you keep not getting where you need
to be.
You just don't get anywhere.
And so you're like, didn't we pass this
tree?
No, no, no, no, that was a different
tree.
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So you go down, you do this a
couple of times.
And so you say, well, you know what,
maybe we should mark the tree.
Because I think it's, no, it's not, well,
all right, we'll mark it, just for the
heck of it.
Son of a gun.
We're going in circles.
So now you know that you're going the
way in circle and you keep doing it.
So now you can know how to go
the other way.
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Does that help?
I think it does.
I think we put a lot of pressure
on ourselves to be perfect, right?
And if we do that, then I will
tell you, it can really pull us down.
(20:39):
I think we get an idea, okay?
And then when we get stuck and we
can't do the idea, it's like, oh my
gosh, what am I going to do?
We don't know.
And so if we don't know, then we
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put ourselves into this loop, a loop that's
not healthy for us, a loop that's draining
our own energy.
Now, maybe we were somewhere before, but now
we're not, okay?
And you didn't know where it happened or
why it happened.
All you know is that it's now happened,
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okay?
Does that make sense?
I think when we hear the word procrastination,
the first thing we want to do is
say, oh no, no, no, it's not me,
I don't procrastinate.
But then if somebody points it out to
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us that we're procrastinating, it's like, we want
to try to defend it.
So if you have someone who's procrastinating and
you want to get them to stop, you
need to not talk about the procrastination, but
talk about the taking action.
People don't like to be thrown under the
bus.
(22:12):
And maybe you have great intentions.
I know from being a coach for a
long time.
You have to reward the positive behavior and
talk about the behavior you want to change.
Make a suggestion that, you know, if we
maybe tried it this way, it might give
us a better result.
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How about we give it a try?
And that doesn't put you down when somebody
says that.
But if I say, gee, you know, you're
procrastinating, you better do it this way.
You're going to be fighting me in every
darn way.
If I say, you know, Joe, that was
good.
I have an idea.
Why don't we give this way a try?
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And let's see if it's even more efficient.
And now you're open to it because I
made as a suggestion to you.
When I make a suggestion to you, you're
like, huh.
You know, like I always say something like
the Colombo person.
Well, you know, Joe, um, that was work
for a while.
I have an idea.
Why don't we give this way a try?
(23:14):
Well, I guess we could do that, John.
And I make it like a suggestion.
I don't make it like, hey, you know,
Joe, you got to do this.
And if he says no, oh, okay.
No problem.
Eventually they'll probably come around and say, you
know what, maybe we should give that way
a try or maybe something happens wrong.
(23:35):
Like, so, um, do you want to give
us other way to try?
It might be a little more helpful, but
you have to be humble in the way
you approach it.
So my people, I know that have done
coaching before me, they try to do this
whole thing where they're better than everybody else.
All right.
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That's important.
And I'll tell you that if you do
it with respect and you do it with
humility, okay.
I can tell you that people are going
to pay more attention to you and they're
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going to want to try it.
Not because you mentioned it, but because, well,
they're curious, right?
And when we're curious about something, it's like,
hmm, maybe I, maybe I should give that
a try.
When you make it as a suggestion, people
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are so willing to want to like, that's
why I said, you know, Joe, why don't
we, why don't we give it a try?
It's so innocent.
It's so easy going that people are like,
yeah, let's give it a try.
But I'd be like, Joe, you know, you
got to try it this way.
It's gonna be much better.
He's gonna be like, no, no, no, no.
And it'd be so against it.
Why don't we just give it a try?
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What do we have to lose?
Right.
Make it so light, make it so airy
like that.
And then it's like, huh, let's just give
it a try and let's just see what
happens.
I think that's the missing link.
So that's how you can get somebody to
stop procrastinating.
Now, if it's you that's procrastinating, okay.
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You can say to yourself, look, this is
how it's, how I've been doing in the
past.
And it's gotten me some results.
I'd be open to trying something else to
maybe see if I could, you know, manage
my time better.
And so one suggestion I might say is,
well, guys, if you want to do that,
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I mean, if you're open to it, maybe
make a to-do list and cross things
off.
I mean, you don't have to, but it's
just an idea.
And of course you're going to want to
do it.
Right.
You're the one coming to me and asking
me.
So anything I suggest, you're gonna be like,
yeah, but I have to make everything seem
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like a suggestion.
Like, well, you know, you could do that.
And you know, you could reward yourself if
it goes well, you could break it into
chunks.
You could.
And all these coulds are in your mind
and they're serving like, hmm.
Or I might say something to you like,
hey guys, so if you try that, what
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do you think that would look like?
What do you think that would sound like?
What do you think that would feel like?
I'm in the process of doing that now
as I'm process of building my dream home.
I was like, what's it going to feel
like in my new kitchen?
What's it going to look like?
And it's funny as I started doing this,
I started having dreams about for the very
first time just the other day, what my
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dream home is going to look like.
And I was designing my kitchen and how
it has the Vulcan stoves.
And I like to bake a lot.
And I said, gee, I'd like to have
this kitchen and I'd like to have the
oven in my kitchen, but I'd also like
to have a separate kitchen, like in my
studio that I have cameras that I could
press and I could have myself be able
to put myself live and stream, have different
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kinds of cameras, have them all connected to
live and do records all by myself and
have the same kind of stoves and then
do the whole thing there.
So I'm not actually doing it in my
personal home.
I'm doing it in my studio, which has
a stove.
So that got me very excited, guys.
I got to tell you.
So ladies and gentlemen, you have been watching
(27:29):
or listening to the ever popular Inspirations for
Your Life show with myself, John C.
Morley, serial entrepreneur, engineer, marketing specialist, video producer,
podcast host, coach, graduate student, and a passionate
lifelong learner.
Guiding you through Crush Procrastination in Motion as
(27:51):
part of our Motion Mindset Seven Days to
Build Unshakable Momentum series.
Tonight's challenge is simple.
Pick just three of these strategies and use
them in the next 24 hours and prove
to yourself that you are someone who moves,
not someone who waits.
(28:12):
Comment below and let me know how it
worked.
For more tools and inspiration and resources, visit
BelieveMeAchieve.com and I'll catch you real soon.
Be well, everyone, and have a great one.
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