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“Procrastination is fueled by weakness in the face of impulse and a failure to think about thinking.”  -David McRaney

It’s pretty common to think that the reason you’re not taking action is a lack of willpower; what David McRaney calls “weakness in the face of impulse.” But consider this metaphor….

Chip and Dan Heath, in the wonderful book, Switch, talk about how change is like trying to redirect an elephant. Our habituated minds like to keep going the way they’re going, and aren’t all that interested in change. You need a skilled rider to direct an elephant down a new path.

But what does it take? Is it strength? Would a stronger person have an easier time redirecting an elephant? I’d say no. I’d say, it’s not about force but wisdom and finesse. A great elephant rider (I can only assume, never having met one) applies a combination of clarity (knowing exactly where he’s heading), strategy (leading the elephant down a temptation-free path) and cajoling (appealing to the elephant’s inherent desires). Force has very little to do with it.

Same with your mind when it comes to procrastination. Want to start a new diet, build your business by making phone calls, stop smoking? Your habituated elephant mind isn’t having any of it. So, your rider (your will) needs something more than power. You can’t overpower an elephant! It needs skills, tools and finesse. So STOP trying to beat your elephant into submission, and START learning the psychological skills necessary to guide your elephant where you want to go.

IF THAT MAKES SENSE TO YOU, JOIN ME FOR MY FREE ONLINE TRAINING AS A FACULTY MEMBER ON NETWORKING UNIVERSITY, TOMORROW, SEPTEMBER 5TH, AT 9PM EASTERN TIME. TO JOIN US, CLICK HERE

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