Procrastination State of Mind: Falling Back into Rhythm

The Jewish calendar is filled with many holidays throughout the year. Tishrei, the first month of the Jewish calendar, starts with a bang ushering in the fall holidays: Rosh Hashana (head of the year), Yom Kippur (day of atonement), Sukkot (the festival of booths), and the last one, Simchat Torah to celebrate the completion of the annual cycle of Bible readings, which begins on Saturday at sunset. This holiday season resembles the shorter period in western countries from Christmas through New year. The mindset is that of “wait till after the holidays.” No serious work is contemplated and everyday routines and healthy habits are put on hold. It can be a struggle to stop procrastinating and get back to good habits when fall is here, with the holidays just around the corner.

Postponing decision-making and slacking on healthy habits around the holidays (before and after) is real. It has a name – HSP, or Holiday Season Procrastination. This year it hit me hard. Planning and hosting get-togethers, as enjoyable as it was, did cause me to lose focus. My writing has suffered. Before the holidays, I was writing at least one hour every day. But after 3 weeks of ceaseless celebrations, I have become easily distracted and have let my (self-imposed) deadlines slip. I know I must get back on track now. That third book isn’t going to write itself.

Getting back on track means rebuilding good habits. Disruptions are part of life – the good times (e.g.; vacations, holidays, and life events) and the tough times. It is almost impossible to stick to any type of routine while navigating life’s dynamic rhythms. Normal routines and good habits keep us healthy, motivated, and productive. However, taking a self-defined break from routines keeps us from living life on auto-pilot. It creates the space to refresh, rejuvenate, and recharge. The key is to find a healthy balance between building effective routines and habits and changing things up to feel more inspired and energized. As they say, novelty is the spice of life. But it’s all about moderation, right?

Here are 3 things to do to get back into your groove after taking a break from your routine:

Slow Down to Ramp up

Embrace the Break. Time off from life’s routines bring physical and emotional healing. In the long run, slacking off for a little makes you more productive. So, skip the shame, blame, and guilt and treat yourself with kindness. Positive reinforcement is a productive loop; a little bit can go a long way when you are trying to (re)motivate yourself to get back on track. I can criticize myself for not having the willpower and focus to hit my daily page number goal, but negative self-talk is not likely to inspire creativity. This type of all-or-nothing goal is counterproductive because it turns writing into a task measured by quantity rather than quality, and the goal is coded as a failure if the arbitrary number of pages is not achieved. This can result in demotivation and consequently even poorer performance. However, if I commit to setting aside dedicated time for writing and celebrate any progress made, I can build the motivation to do better tomorrow. A career is like a marathon. It’s steady work that creates progress, and after every long run, recovery time is needed. Great work comes when you take the time to slow down to refresh and renew yourself – body, mind, and spirit.

The Time is Now

Yes, there are times when we’re not productive. When done with awareness of intention, slacking off can make you more productive. But only if you use good judgment and strike the right balance to retain harmony in your work and personal life. To regain motivation and momentum after slacking off, apply “The Now Rule.” Don’t dwell on the past nor obsess over the future. Focus on the now. Action is the antidote to procrastination. Choose what to do, and get started right away. Motivation follows action, not the other way around. Whatever you want done, action is the impetus for motivation. The fastest way to get results is to get started, even in a small way. Motivation is about “motive” and “action.” Know your “why” (the compelling idea) and take action to bring your idea to fruition. Start slow as you get back into your routine. We often get overwhelmed when we focus too much on the end-result. For example, thinking you should head out on a long run after taking a break from running can be demotivating. Instead, just commit to “I’m going to run today.” No metrics whatsoever. Pushing too hard too fast is rarely a recipe for success. The trick to train the commitment muscle is to start now and take small actions to build momentum.

Keep Your Eye on the Process

Create a structure that makes it easy for you to get back on track. Process leads to progress. We all have hopes and dreams. It is often the “how to” that we struggle with. Success is a process of planning and execution. Define your personal path to success by creating your “A” lists:

Aspire – write down what success means to you.

Assess – write down the things you cannot change and the things within your control you can focus on and change.

Acquire – write down the tools and resources you will need.

Apply – write down your most effective strategies for success.

Act – write down the things you should start doing, stop doing, and continue to do.

Accept – write down the things you’ve learned to accept and embrace over the years.

The journey of life is full of ebbs and flows. We experience times of productivity and times of procrastination. Acquiring balance is a lifelong learning journey. It’s a marathon, not a sprint. Accept that it is work in progress. Expect that most things won’t go exactly as planned, and you’ll learn from what’s not working to be able to make corrections. Progress is through consistency. Be patient.

Next time you are in a slump, trust it’s temporary, and you have the power to get back on track.