That time I hid behind a bin of clementines to avoid my client...
Back when I was a wedding photographer, I had a standard line: “Your gallery will be ready in about a month.” That was the industry norm, even though the actual edits only took me about ten hours. But here’s what I would do instead: I’d wait 28 days and 2 hours before starting, and then I’d execute in a state of absolute misery.
One time, I ran into a couple at the grocery store—only a week after their wedding—and I HID FROM THEM. As if they were thinking, “Wowwww....Plenty of time to buy groceries, but you can’t manage to edit our photos yet?” My procrastination-guilt had turned me delusional.
Then, a thought hit me: What if I moved up the deadline? What if I told them, your photos will be ready in a week, by the time you get back from your honeymoon?
I went a step further—I let THEM pick the exact time. I’d say, “Plan an in-home date night: order your favorite meal, get some bubbly, turn on music. Tell me the exact time you want the link to your gallery so you can experience it together.”
What happened next was magical. I went straight to work, feeling motivated instead of guilty. The couple got their photos faster and was blown away by the quality and turnaround speed.
Win-win. It became my new policy and I became known as a wedding photographer with an insanely fast turnaround.
Procrastination Isn’t the Problem—Your System Is
Instead of shaming ourselves into believing we need to fix procrastination, what if we hacked it into our systems? What if INSTEAD of believing you had to transform yourself into a "pacer", you fully celebrated your identity as a "sprinter".
Here are some ways to make procrastination work for you:
Move Up the Deadline – Just like I had my couples pick their gallery release date, set a deadline that someone else is counting on. Book a zoom date or a presentation where you have to finish the thing before you go.
Use External Accountability or ADHD Body Doubling – Work alongside a friend who’s also tackling a task, or try ADHD body doubling—having another person around while you work. They don’t need to help, just being there keeps you focused and makes it easier to start. They can literally be strangers at a coffee shop. It creates a sense of "I don't want anyone to see me off task".
Turn Long-Term Projects into Sprint Projects – If you hate long-term projects, don’t force yourself into one. Instead, break it into three short-term sprints with clear, satisfying finish lines. Use prescheduled check-ins with your client, coach, or friend.
Have three good priorities – Right now I’m writing this newsletter, but I’m procrastinating rehearsing my keynote and doing my biz taxes. My procrastination brain loves that it’s rebelling against two things SO MUCH that it doesn’t even realize I’m actually producing one needed thing. Seriously: anytime I'm producing one good thing, I'm procrastinating at least two other good things. JOKES ON ME, REBEL BRAIN, LOOK! I'M ACCIDENTALLY PRODUCING. HA!
Lower the Bar to Entry – If something feels overwhelming, make the first step ridiculously small. Need to clean your whole house? Just put one dish in the sink. That small action will trick your brain into getting started.
Use the 5-Second Rule – Mel Robbins’ 5-Second Rule is a game-changer. The second you think, I should do this, count down—5-4-3-2-1—and move before your brain can talk you out of it. This taps into activation energy, the push needed to get started. Like that time I forced myself into a cold plunge.
Design Your System Around Procrastination – If you know you’ll procrastinate, work with it, not against it. Instead of fighting your instincts, set up your workflow so the final push happens in a structured, productive way. The reason I named this newsletter Monday Motivator was because I knew if I planned to send something vague, I could easily put it off until Friday...or never.
Procrastination isn’t the enemy. It’s just a sign that your system needs a little creativity. Instead of shaming yourself, hack it. You might just find that what once made you miserable can actually make you the unstoppable multi-passionate sprinter you were meant to be!
Wednesday, Feb 26:I'm giving akeynote at Springfield Soundstage, Springfield, MO at 5:30pm CST doors open. 6:00pm the talk begins! This is open to the public and it's free! I'll be hanging out after, so please come! I'd love it so much and can we please take a selfie? (off to rehearse it) ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Work with me! 1:1 Coaching: Prices are going up March 1! My current offer is a 3-month program with a Zoom meeting every other week and custom homework in between! I'd love to be your transformation ally! (You also get access to my signature Love Your Habits mastercourse!) Hit reply and we'll get started! Group Coaching Community: I offer group coaching at an affordable rate through The Habit Lab. Included are my signature Love your Habits Masterclass, daily posts and check-in's, and I lead live zoom calls twice a month. Join us. You're right on time.
"Nothing is so fatiguing as the eternal hanging on of an uncompleted task."
– William James
Curating the gift boxes for my Habit Lab ladies was so much fun. I think in my next life, I'll be a part-time gift box maker. It's not too late to join the most positive community on the internet. You're right on time. ;)
We left the house after a full five days of snow days. Took my girls to starbucks and barnes and noble because I consider it my deepest parental duty to teach them how to be basic.
After hitting rock bottom, I've embarked on a radical journey. For one year, I'm taking a break from all cynicsm and trying out some crazy self-improvement experiments (so you don't have to.)